The Cult of Dionysus
by Ynyr
Summary: The blood wards around Privet Drive have a disastrous effect on Harry Potter's magical development, leaving him unable to use a wand. But there are other kinds of magic, and other paths to power. Harry/many witches. No horcruxes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore's first mistake was to dismiss the possibility that a young muggleborn witch like Lily Potter could know more about magic than he did. As he surveyed the disaster at Godric's Hollow the old wizard theorized that Lily had sacrificed her life to save her son Harry from Voldemort. While this answer was partly correct, it was far from being the whole truth.

For not only did Lily use her death to power the ancient blood charm, she also used Voldemort's own magic against him. When the Dark Lord attacked young Harry with the Killing Curse he opened a connection to this arcane piece of blood magic, and ended up supplying the power which destroyed his body. The Lily's plan was a work of pure genius, but her former Headmaster was too arrogant to admit that he didn't understand all its complexities.

Secure in his ignorance, Dumbledore began to plot. He was perfectly aware of how corrupt the Ministry of Magic was, since he had been a part of it for decades. With the death of his parents Harry's closest relatives were the dreaded Black Family, thanks to fact Dorea Black had married the boy's grandfather Charlus Potter. Bellatrix Lestrange was going to end up in Azkaban along with that traitor Sirius Black, so they both could be safely ignored.

That left the other two sisters, Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy. Since they were both purebloods they had the strongest legal case for claiming guardianship of Harry, but any political fight between them was sure to end with a victory for Lucius Malfoy's wife. Dumbledore had proof that Lucius was a Death Eater, but he also knew the clever snake would buy his way out of Azkaban. The Malfoys would love to rehabilitate their public image by raising Harry as their second son, and that scenario could only end in disaster. The boy had to be ready if Voldemort returned—the prophecy demanded it.

Dumbledore's only other option was Lily's sister Petunia Dursley, but she was a muggle and had no legal rights according to the Ministry of Magic. He would have to present the Wizengamot with a _fait accompli_, and hope that his towering reputation would allow him to survive politically. The blood protection that Lily had cast could be used as the foundation for a new set of blood wards around the Dursley's home. This type of ward were illegal, but protecting Harry from the vengeful Death Eaters outweighed the risks.

Having devised a plan, the old wizard went to work. Dumbledore had no particular gift for creating wards and he had never made a study of blood magic, but that didn't stop him. After all, people had been telling him that he was a genius since he took his NEWTs over a century ago. His magic would center on a note he had written for Petunia. Once she read it and accepted her nephew into her home, the blood wards would be set until Harry reached his seventeenth birthday.

After Hagrid and Minerva had left Privet Drive, Dumbledore stayed behind under James's Invisibility Cloak which he had found at Godric's Hollow. Petunia quickly picked up her nephew and read the note with her other hand. She seemed upset about the situation, but after a few moments the two disappeared into the house and the blood wards sprang into existence. With an almost silent pop Dumbledore disappeared from Harry Potter's life for the next ten years. In a long and eventful life this would be the single worst mistake he would ever make.

* * *

That mistake was not obvious for the first several years of Harry's stay at his Aunt's house. He seemed like a normal toddler. The only thing unusual about him—other than his preference for female company—was the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. It was a shallow cut, but it never seemed to heal for some reason. At times it would even begin to bleed again for no reason.

That didn't matter to his Aunt Petunia, because she loved her nephew. In truth she loved him more than her own son, and certainly more than she loved her husband. As the years passed that fact became more and more evident to Vernon Dursley, and he didn't like it one bit. He insisted that his wife pay more attention to her own son Dudley, and to him as well. Vernon even went so far as to suggest moving Harry out of his bedroom and down into the cupboard under the stairs.

When Petunia heard that she knew exactly what she had to do: she had to murder her husband. It had to be done in such a way that allowed her to stay out of prison **and** to collect his life insurance. If she was in prison who would take care of poor Harry? As for the insurance money: well, her nephew was an orphan and he deserved the best of everything. Especially since he was a wizard—the greatest wizard in history.

To achieve her objective Petunia began spending time in bars of Soho. Getting away to London when she had to care for two young children was difficult, but she somehow she managed it. Petunia was no great beauty like her late sister Lily, but she still had a fine figure so no one questioned her presence at these seedy nightspots. She had thought about involving some young male criminal in her plot, but no mere man would be able to see how important Harry was to the world.

After a few weeks of scouting she found a fellow housewife was looking for a way out of her abusive marriage, and the two women agreed to kill each others' husbands. Since no police detective thought to link the murder of a man in Portsmouth with a housewife in Little Whinging or the murder of a man in Little Whinging with a housewife in Portsmouth, neither woman was ever caught. Beating a man to death with a cricket bat was difficult for Petunia, but she got through it by thinking of her beloved nephew.

* * *

Ten years later Professor Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, received a letter she had looked forward to for some time. Harry Potter was finally coming to Hogwarts, and he was hoping that she might pay him a visit. Since he hadn't spent any time in the magical world, Harry was interesting in the names of his fellow first-year students. Normally Minerva wouldn't have shared that kind of sensitive information with a student, but allowances could be made just this once. It served Albus right for leaving the boy with those horrible muggles.

"Hello Professor McGonagall, my name is Harry Potter," said the boy who answered the door at Number Four, Privet Drive.

Minerva was too shocked to respond for a moment. Harry looked just like his father, but he had Lily's beautiful green eyes. His clothes and his hair and even his nails were perfectly groomed. The Boy-Who-Lived was going to be beating them off with a stick in a few years.

"How do you do, Mr Potter. May I come in?"

"Yes, of course," Lily's sister Petunia said as she gestured towards the sofa in the front room. "Please have a seat."

Like so many times before, Minerva launched into her spiel about Hogwarts. However Petunia quickly cut her off, and explained that her nephew knew all about the magical world thanks to the hundreds of letters Lily had written her sister back during the seventies.

"Mrs Dursley, where your husband?" Minerva asked after she had handed Harry a parchment with the names of the first-years on it.

"A criminal murdered Vernon several years ago."

"I am terrible sorry for your loss. And what about your son?"

"Dudley is spending the summer with his Aunt Marge. This my nephew's special time. A wizard only turns eleven once."

McGonagall turned to study Harry. Despite his youth he seemed to have a... charisma about him, much like Albus did. "Is there any specific questions you would like to ask me about Hogwarts?"

"There are several foreign names on this list of students, but they are all female. Why is that?"

Trust the son of James Potter to ask an embarrassing question. "Miss Li and the two Patil twins are all daughters of prominent business-wizards who import and export goods between Asia and Europe."

"And what about Blaise Zabini?"

"He is a wizard, and his mother is English."

"But why don't these business-wizards send their sons to Hogwarts?"

Normally McGonagall chose to ignore topics like this. For instance she never told the muggleborn students like Hermione Granger about the blatant discrimination that she would face in the magical world. Her job was to sugarcoat the situation, and enroll as many students in Hogwarts as possible. But for some reason she found herself telling Harry the ugly truth about how their small world really worked.

"Their sons receive their magical education in their native countries of China and India. The daughters are seen as having lesser value to their families, so they are sent to Hogwarts as hostages. If their fathers try to cheat their European business partners these daughters would be killed in retaliation."

"That is barbaric," Petunia said.

"Not really," Harry said as he rubbed his forehead. "This is the same thing the Romans use to do to the barbarian tribes they conquered. Sons of the local chieftains were sent to Rome to be educated, but in reality they were hostages held against their tribes' continuing good behavior."

"Quite correct Mr Potter, you know your ancient history. Do you have any more questions?"

"Yes, I do. My mother's letters were full of information about the war against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. I see that the children of several of those Death Eaters will be attending Hogwarts with me this year. Will my life be in any danger?"

"Only if you are sorted into Slytherin. It would be a simply matter for your enemies to arrange an accident down in those horrible dungeons. You will be reasonable safe in the other three houses, but the risk of assassination is still very real."

By now Harry was holding his head with both hands as if he were in great pain. "Thank you for your time, Professor. I hope to see you on the first of September."

McGonagall quickly got up and left the house. It never occurred to her to be offended by the fact that she had received a curt dismissal from an eleven year-old, or to question why she had obeyed that dismissal without hesitation.

"Are you alright Harry?" his Aunt Petunia asked.

"No, I'm not. I was hoping that witches were the same as muggle women, but that clearly isn't the case. It will be a challenge at Hogwarts when I'm surrounded by a few hundred of them every day."

Petunia hugged her nephew tightly. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. You can stay with me forever."

"No, I have to learn about magic, and that means I have to go to Hogwarts. I will learn to cope with the pain—it will just take some time. We can make a start of it by going to Diagon Alley tomorrow, and while we are in London we can also do some fund-raising."

After Vernon's death Petunia needed a job, and for a time she worked in a flower shop here in Little Whinging. But several years ago she joined a charity dedicated to helping young orphans, and with her nephew's help she soon became their top fundraiser. Harry just had to walk into one of those expensive London townhouses and the cheques soon followed. Their wealthy female supporters delighted in showering him with all sorts of gifts, and one of them even set up a lavish trust fund for his education.

"Harry, I remember Diagon Alley. It was always crowded when your mother went shopping for school supplies in August."

"I'm have to learn how to deal with witches, so I might as well start tomorrow. But now I would like to take a warm bath."

"Of course dear, whatever you need."

* * *

The trip to Diagon Alley was a disaster. Th moment Harry walked into the Leaky Cauldron the pain became unbearable. While her nephew returned to the car and rested, Petunia went to mail a letter by owl. Later that day Professor McGonagall returned to Little Whinging with the Hogwarts Healer Poppy Pomfrey in response to her desperate plea for help.

"Well, what do you think?" Minerva asked her old friend after the Healer had finished the medical examination.

"It's hard to believe, but Harry Potter is suffering from a simply case of magical exhaustion despite having a very powerful magical core. It's as if the boy has been casting spells for several straight hours."

"That is impossible," Petunia cried. "He doesn't even own a wand."

"Let's continue this conversation out back," Minerva suggested as she glanced over at Harry, who was writhing in pain. "I afraid that the presence of two witches is only making his condition worse."

"Mrs Dursley, are you familiar with the Wizarding Wireless?" Poppy asked as the sat down on a bench located in the tiny garden behind the house. "I believe it's similar to your muggle radio."

"Yes, my sister told me all about the Wireless before she died."

"It seems that your nephew is in effect a biological form of the Wireless. He is literally broadcasting his magic in every direction."

"Poppy, you can't be serious," Minerva said. "I have never heard of such a thing, not even in theory. Surely this is just some form of accidental magic."

"No, accidental magic has been studied at great length and it has very distinct characteristics. What Harry is doing is something very different. He is constantly creating a magical field around his body, and even worse this field increases in strength when he is near other magical person. Is is a completely unknown form of magic... but then so is surviving the Killing Curse."

"Do you think the two events are connected?" a skeptical Minerva asked.

"I honestly can't say. The only person who really knows what happened that night in Godric's Hollow is Headmaster Dumbledore, and he has refused to share any information about the subject with the rest of the world," Poppy replied. "I suggest we bring him here so he can examine Harry."

"No! Dumbledore can't find out about this," Harry said as he leaned against the back door of the house.

"That are you doing out of bed so soon? You need to rest," Aunt Petunia told him.

"Mr Potter, your medical condition is very serious. Perhaps even life-threatening," the Healer explained. "I not sure how to help you, so we need to bring in outside experts to help us figure out a course of treatment. I would prefer to send you straight to St Mungo's Hospital, but the presence of that many wizards and witches might actually kill you."

"You can bring others here to help me, so long as they are witches. No wizards."

When he was growing up Harry thought it was only natural for women to help him in any way they could. But as he got older he began to notice that what was natural for him was very unnatural for other people. After his Aunt Petunia explained that he was a wizard it didn't take much to figure out that this effect on women had something to do with his magic, but it now appeared that these witches were also baffled by his strange ability. Until they could provide him with some useful information he would keep his distance from any wizard. While he enjoyed the company of women, men always hated him for some reason. Always.

* * *

Although it was a criminal act, the first thing that Minerva did was disabled the apparatus which monitored underage magic for the Ministry of Magic in Little Whinging. Then she did the same for all the devices Albus had connected to Number Four—after all their years together as colleagues she could find his magical signature with her eyes closed. At the same time Poppy was setting up a series of runes which would isolate Harry from any magic while they worked on a diagnosis.

Finally the two pitched a magical tent in the garden out back away from the prying eyes of Arabella Figg. Neither witch questioned the fact that they were abandoning everything else in their lives to focus on Harry Potter. It just seemed like the right thing to do. If Petunia hadn't been cooking meals for them they probably would have forgotten to eat and starved to death.

After a fruitless day of testing Minerva and Poppy decided to call in Professor Vector and Professor Babbling from Hogwarts. This proved to be an excellent choice since Bathsheba Babbling's extensive knowledge of Ancient Runes gave them their first real break. It seems that Dumbledore's efforts to protect Harry from the remaining Death Eaters had almost killed him.

"Minerva, I know that you think the sun shines out of his arse, but Dumbledore's work on these blood wards is criminal in its negligence." Bathsheba told the group as they conferred out in the tent.

"What does that have to do with Harry's condition?" Poppy asked.

"It has everything to do with Harry's condition," the Professor barked. "Dumbledore tied these poorly designed blood wards directly to the magical core of a child. A child that had just survived the Killing Curse. I don't know what happened between the Boy-Who-Lived and You-Know-Who, but the link between Harry and the blood wards is highly unstable and it always has been. That must be the reason why he is generating this strange magical field."

"I agree with Bathsheba," Septima Vector added as she went over her Arithmancy calculations. "There are two separate pieces of magic at work here. One is the blood wards surrounding the house, and the other is centered directly on Harry's body. If I was a betting witch I would say that Lily Potter cast some sort of charm on her son just before she died in order to protect him."

"Lily was one of the most brilliant students I ever taught," Minerva observed. "If anyone was capable of setting a trap for You-Know-Who, it would have been her."

"I think that is exactly what happened," Septima told them. "Then Dumbledore thought he was being clever when he tied this charm of Lily's to her sister Petunia's home. It has protected Harry all these years, but at a terrible cost to the boy's magical development."

"That old fool always thinks that his skill with a wand trumped his ignorance," Bathsheba sneered. "A quick draw in a duel is no substitute for doing real research in a library."

"You are right," Minerva said in despair. "Albus had only a few hours to prepare the blood wards before Rubeus Hagrid brought young Harry here to Little Whinging."

"Alright, we now understand the underlying cause of the problem. How do we fix it?" Poppy asked.

The answer to that question took most of August for the group to figure out. They finally managed to design a ritual which would sever the link between Harry and the blood wards. Once that was done they hope it would be possible for the boy to gain some measure of control over the unusual magical field he was generating. Unfortunately this ritual was dangerous... and illegal.

"I can't believe we are even contemplating this," Poppy said after the other witches presented her with their outline.

"Normally I would agree with you, but keeping Harry alive is worth any risk," Bathsheba replied. "It's all Dumbledore's fault anyway. Blood magic is considered dark magic for a good reason, and he is the one who opened this particular can of worms ten years ago."

"You do realize that if the Ministry of Magic finds out about this we will be given the Dementor's Kiss for sure."

"I say we all Obliviate each other after the ritual is over," Septima said. "It is the only way we can protect Harry and ourselves from those ignorant fools at the Ministry."

"That's an excellent idea," Minerva said with enthusiasm. "We will also Obliviate the boy afterwards to spare him any unnecessary guilt. Albus will arrive here in Little Whinging after a short time to find the house on fire, and then he will be forced to bring Harry to Hogwarts where he belongs."

Poppy's magical oaths as a Healer were strong, so again she tried to reason with the others. "Petunia, are sure you really want to go through with this? What about your son?"

"Vernon's sister Marge will take care of Dudley. I have always known how important my nephew was to the world. Doing this for Harry will be a great honor," Petunia answered.

The ritual was simple but terribly messy. The four witches planned on carving a series of runes on five of the boy's bones: his two femurs, his two humeri, and on his skull. The complicated part would be filleting Harry's skin and muscles so that Bathsheba could reach the bone itself and begin carving. The operation had to be done while Harry was conscious, and without the use of any pain-relief potions. Once the runes were in place Petunia would then commit suicide.

"This is insane!" Harry cried when he learned about this last part of the ritual. "There was to be another way! I can't lose you!"

"This all started when your mother Lily sacrificed herself to protect you. If we want to undo the damage that Dumbledore has caused then we needed another sacrificial act just as powerful. Only my death can set you free," Petunia explained.

"But I can just stay here in Little Whinging! I don't have to go to Hogwarts! Please don't do this!"

"I am sorry Harry, but some day you will understand how important you are to the world."

The crying boy was then restrained by the four witches, and those cries soon turned to screams. While Minerva and Septima were cutting open Harry's arms, legs, and head Poppy was busy stabilizing his condition and insuring that he didn't bleed to death. Once the bone itself was exposed, Bathsheba quickly moved in and carved the complex runes which were just a few centimeters in size. When she was done Poppy healed the deep cuts. Harry never stopped screaming during the entire operation.

"Petunia, are you ready?" Minerva asked as she handed the muggle woman a bottle of deadly poison.

"Harry, I love you."

Was all his Aunt said before she drank the foul black liquid and collapsed to the ground. It was the last thing the boy remembered before the pain finally overwhelmed him.

* * *

"Mr Potter, I see that you are finally awake. My name is Poppy Pomfrey, and I am the Healer here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"I know who you are," Harry snarled as he tried—and failed—to get up off the infirmary bed. He could feel the five wounds on his body quite clearly, and they all hurt like the dickens. "You are the one who did this to me."

"Mr Potter, but we have never met before today. I sorry to have to tell you this, but your Aunt Petunia died when your house caught fire last night. You were brought here to Hogwarts so I could treat you for smoke inhalation."

Despite his pain and anger, Harry remembered the witches talking about their plan to Obliviate themselves. They needed to hide the evidence of their illegal ritual. They had also planned to Obliviate him, but that part of their plan must have failed for some reason. He remembered everything—including his Aunt Petunia's suicide. Had he somehow driven her to do that?

"Where is Dumbledore?"

Poppy looked shocked at his question. "You listen to me young man, that kind of cheek will not be tolerated here at Hogwarts. You will always refer to Headmaster with the proper amount of respect. Furthermore it is inappropriate for someone your age to inquire about the comings and goings of such an important wizard."

It seemed clear to Harry that the operation to control his unique magic had worked. He couldn't recall a woman ever refusing to answer one of his questions, or using that tone of voice with him. But had his magical... Charisma over women been destroyed, or was it just inhibited in some way?

Harry concentrated on the runes cut into his bones, and then turned to the Healer. "Poppy, I need a hug."

For a moment the Healer looked like she was going to yell at him again, but then a strange change came over her face. Harry could tell he was having an effect on her because he could feel the runes burning inside his body. Despite the pain he didn't flinch when the Healer leaned over and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Madam Pomfrey, may I ask what is going on here?"

"I am sorry Headmaster," the blushing Healer said as she moved away from her patient. "Mr Potter just lost his Aunt Petunia, and he looked like he needed some emotional support."

"That is quite alright," the old wizard said in a compassionate tone, but his eyes were not so forgiving. "Would you please give us some privacy. I have much to discuss with Mr Potter."

When the Healer left them Dumbledore transfigured the bed next to Harry's into a comfortable chair and sat down. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances. Your parents were dear friends of mine. I see that Madam Pomfrey has already told you the terrible news about your Aunt Petunia. You have my deepest condolences."

"Who will I live with now?" Harry asked as he tried to contain the anger he felt towards the old wizard. The pain from the runes was fading, but he was still very uncomfortable. And his condition was all Dumbledore's fault. "I don't think my Aunt Marge will want to take me in since I'm not related to her by blood."

"I am afraid that will be up to the Wizengamot to decide. They make the laws for our world, and the topic of your future home will be a source of intense discussion among its members," Dumbledore explained. "But you don't have to worry about that until the end of the school year which is several months away. For now you will stay here at Hogwarts."

"I haven't had time to go to Diagon Alley. Will it be possible for one of the Professors to take me on a trip to London so I can buy my school supplies for the year?"

"You ask a great many questions for someone your age."

"I'm sorry," Harry said as tried to sound contrite. Picking fights with men or boys always ended in disaster for him. Always.

Dumbledore continued to study him closely. "That is quite alright, my boy. Professor McGonagall will escort you to the London as soon as Madam Pomfrey gives her approval."

* * *

After the events at Ollivander's Wand Shop both Dumbledore and Minerva thought it would be prudent for Harry to stay at the castle and skip his first train ride on the Hogwarts Express. Even after five hours of searching the old wand-maker hadn't been able to find a match for the Boy-Who-Lived anywhere in his shop. In desperation Harry used his magical Charisma to influence Minerva, and suggested that he try his mother's old wand.

With the runes inside his body burning, Harry and Minerva returned to Hogwarts and broke into Headmaster's office. There they retrieved not only his mother's wand but also his father's Invisibility Cloak. Dumbledore was furious when he found them looting his office, but his mood quickly changed when he found out their reasons.

"Albus, Harry tried every single wand Ollivander had in stock, and none of them worked at all," Minerva explained. "Fortunately Lily's old wand seems to be giving him a positive result."

That was a bit of an overstatement. Harry was able to use his mother's wand, but his magic could best be described as feeble. For the next few days we was given remedial lessons in Transfiguration, but nothing Minerva did seem to improve his magic.

Harry was sure that Dumbledore was going to send him to St Mungo's Hospital for a proper examination, but the Headmaster was obviously nervous about letting the magical world discover that their little hero was a fraud. Or perhaps he was afraid of the answers the Healers would give him. As Harry watched the other students walk up to the front of the Great Hall to be sorted, he thought that Dumbledore's caution was a waste of time. By the end of the first day of classes everyone at Hogwarts was going to know the sad truth about the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Harry Potter," an anxious Minerva called out halfway through the ceremony.

"Well, what do we have here? It a rare event to see something completely new after a thousand years," the Sorting Hat whispered in his head.

"Gryffindor or Hufflepuff."

It a moment of weakness Professor Sprout told Harry about the secret of the Sorting Hat. She explained that if you asked for a certain house the Hat would usually go along with your request. But that wasn't the case this time.

"So boy, you want to find another witch whose robes you can hide behind," the Hat sneered. "I would never place a coward like you in Gryffindor. Godric would rise from the grave and destroy me if I did. In truth the only place for a wizard as deceitful as you is in Slytherin, but given your weakness the snakes would kill you by the end of the first week."

"This isn't my fault," Harry hissed. "Dumbledore did this to me."

"Are you still refusing to take responsibility for your actions?" the Sorting Hat asked in disgust. "Whose magic drove your Aunt Petunia to take her own life? There isn't room in Hufflepuff for a wizard as selfish as you."

"I tried to stop her!" Harry screamed, and every person in the Great Hall heard him. His shocking outburst left many wondering if the Boy-Who-Lived was crazy.

"Ravenclaw," the Hat finally declared.

* * *

**Author's Note**: (1) In this story Harry can barely use a wand, and that will never change. (2) The Sorting Hat was created by a male—Godric Gryffindor—which is why it reacted so negatively.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Harry looked down at the blood covering his hands, and found that it really didn't bother him for some reason. Maybe he deserved it? This was his third week of detentions with Professor Snape, and he had only arrived here at Hogwarts a month ago. Tonight he was organizing the porcupine quills the first-year students would need when they brewed the Boil-Cure Potion, and their pointy tips had caused at least a dozen deep cuts on his hands. Of course that is why the Professor had him do it without any protective gloves on.

"You know Potter, you really should consider ingredient preparation as a future career option," Snape remarked. "Given your lack of intelligence and magical skill it is probably the best job you could hope to find. Or perhaps you will simply return to the muggle world where you belong."

During his first Potions class Harry had been stupid enough to take Snape's bait, and he paid dearly for his moment of cheek. Now he simply ignored the Potion Master and continued with the painful work. Harry had a vague idea of how he was going to deal with the greasy bat, but his plan would take some time. For now he had to suffer in silence.

"Get out, and try not to bleed on anything as you leave."

The hallway outside the classroom was dark—too dark. Harry felt the ambush before the Slytherins sprang it, but there was only one way out of the Dungeons so there was nothing he could do about it. The first Stinging Hex hit him in the leg. He dropped to the floor in pain, but managed to stifle his scream. Dealing with Professor Snape had taught him an important lesson: challenging the Slytherins' dominance only made them more angry.

"Hey squib, guess what we have on the menu tonight: salt," Philip Jugson said a few minutes later after the hexes and curses had stopped. Jugson's father was a Death Eater who was now serving a twenty-year term in Azkaban. He and several other members of the next generation of evil had been attacking him after his detentions for past two weeks. "Grab the little shite, and hold out his hands."

Despite the pain Harry thought it was kind of poetic—literally pouring salt in his open wounds. Who would have guessed that the children of the dreaded Death Eaters could be so clever? Dealing with the hexes had been worse than this, so again he didn't cry out. Still, it was a long and painful trip back to the Ravenclaw Tower that night.

"What are two things that can never be eaten for breakfast?" the eagle knocker on the common room door asked. Harry thought that this was the single worst part about being in Ravenclaw. He was so bad at these logic puzzles that he ended up sleeping out on the stone floor of the hallway one night. Since then the enchanted knocker had decided to go easy on him.

"I don't know… lunch and dinner?"

"There may be some hope for you yet boy," the patronizing metal bird said as it opened the door.

It wasn't much of a surprise to Harry that he didn't get along with his male roommates; **none** of the boys at Hogwarts liked him at all. He was just glad that Kevin, Antony, Terry, and Michael were content with ignoring him. But instead of pressing his luck Harry sneaked into the room of the first-year witches, who let him sleep on the floor each night. They even stole a nice mattress for him, which they hid under Hermione's bed every morning.

The female Ravenclaw prefects knew about this, but let him get away with it because they felt sorry for him. Besides he was only eleven, so how much trouble could he possible cause? As for Professor Flitwick... well, the Head of Ravenclaw didn't seem to care what went on in the Tower.

"So Potter, how did it go tonight?" Su Li asked.

Of the three first-year witches she was the one less affected by Harry's special Charisma, and the one who most enjoyed taking the mickey out of him. The Chinese witch was tiny, but definitely not frail. Su was the only first-year who knew anything about dueling, and she often defended him from the Slytherins and Gryffindors between classes. In response to her question he held up his hands.

"Is that salt mixed in with the blood?" Padma asked. The adorable Indian witch was planning on a career as a Healer, and she enjoyed studying and healing his various wounds after the nightly Slytherin ambushes.

"Oh Harry, how can the Professors let them get away with behavior like this?" Hermione cried as she hugged him.

Harry held his hands above his head to avoided getting any blood on the girl's pink nightgown. He liked the little flying elephants, and didn't want to get any stains on them. Hermione was so desperate for friends when she arrived at Hogwarts that Harry never thought about using his Charisma on her. It was totally unnecessary.

"Hermione, let go of him. We have to clean those cuts before I can heal them," Padma said as she brought over a porcelain basin of hot water and several clean towels.

"But why are they treating him like this? He is Harry Potter, the greatest hero in the entire magical world," the bushy-haired muggleborn wailed.

"Granger, I have explained this to you before," Su said. "The only thing that matters to most witches and wizards is the strength of your wand. Do you honestly believe that Headmaster Dumbledore is both the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW because of his fashion sense? No, he holds those offices because he is a powerful wizard. Harry on the other hand is not a powerful wizard, and that makes many people angry. They were hoping for more from their little hero."

By now Hermione had calmed down a bit. "But it is not his fault. You can't control which kind of magical abilities you are born with."

Padma rolled her eyes at her roommate's naïve. "Shut up already. I am going to heal Harry's cuts. Do you want to watch or not?"

Of course they wanted to watch, they were Ravenclaws. All three witches were brilliant and insatiably curious about new kinds of magic. Padma's healing technique was crude—and more than a little painful—but it got the job done after a few minutes.

"Thank you," Harry said as he flexed his now-healed hands. "I don't know that I would do without the three of you."

"I do," Su replied as they all got ready for bed. "You would have taken a drive off the Astronomy Tower by now. Especially if you had to sleep in the same room as those four wankers every night."

* * *

"Well done," Minerva told Harry. "You have successful transfigured a matchstick into a pin, and it only took you three months."

His daily lessons in Remedial Transfiguration were still a major disappointment. Harry knew that he had the strength to do magic like this—it was just that he couldn't focus that magic through a wand. The runes inscribed on his bones prevent that from happening. Of course they also kept him alive in a magically-saturated environment like Hogwarts. He was doing even worse in Charms, and his attempt at flying on a broom had been a nonstarter. Worst of all was Defense Against the Dark Arts, where Professor Quirrell regularly brutalized him in front of his classmates.

On the other hand Herbology and Astronomy were a breeze, although the fact that those classes were taught by witches might have had something to do with it. The History of Magic was easy, and Potions was fascinating. Even with Professor Snape's constant abuse Harry thought he might have a future as a Potions Master. At least that's what he told himself. It was a way of pretending that he had some sort of future as a wizard, a way of pretending that he wasn't a squib. The Squib-Who-Lived... that was his unofficial title around the castle.

"Professor, we both know that I'm useless with a wand. There is no way I will pass Transfiguration, Charms, or DADA unless my medical condition improves. Is there any chance I will be able to visit St Mungo's Hospital during the holidays?"

As Harry asked this question he fired up his Charisma, and felt the runes being to burn inside of his body. A look of love and devotion quickly came over the Professor's face. He knew that what he was doing was dangerous close to the Imperius Curse, but a check of his wand would provide no incriminating evidence for the Aurors.

"I am sorry, but Albus wants to keep you away from any outsiders he can't control," Minerva replied with complete honesty. "He is also worried about your safety outside of Hogwarts, but most of all he is concerned about his own political future. Having you under his control gives him a great deal of power in the Wizengamot."

"What about the troll that attacked the castle on Halloween? Did that have anything to do me?"

"No, Albus thinks the troll's attack was part of a larger attempt to steal the Philosopher's Stone from the third floor. The defenses we put in place worked, but the thief fled before we could catch him. Or her."

_What the hell is a Philosopher's Stone_? Harry wondered. His three witches would know. "Tell me more about these defenses on the third floor."

As the Professor droned on the pain from the runes became unbearable. There was definitely a time limit on his abilities, especially when he used them on someone as powerful as Minerva. These few minutes of effort would cost him weeks of constant pain.

"Thank you Professor McGonagall, that's enough for now."

"What were we talking about?" she asked as his control finally broke. Harry rarely forced a witch to forget her memories like this, but after what Minerva and the others had done to his Aunt Petunia he really didn't care about giving her brain damage.

"My chances of passing the OWLs."

"You know Mr Potter, there just might be a way for you to gain an OWL in Transfiguration, but it will require a great deal of work from you over the next several years."

"What do you have in mind?"

"As you know I am an Animagus, and I think I could teach you how to become one despite the limitations on your casting abilities. If you passed the theoretical half of the exam, and you were a registered Animagus that would almost certainly be enough for a passing grade from the Wizarding Examinations Authority."

"Would you be willing to teach my friends too?"

Minerva gave him one of her rare smiles. "I would be glad to include Miss Granger, Miss Li, and Miss Patil in this endeavor."

* * *

"Oh Harry, this is such an incredible honor. To be personally tutored by the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts," Hermione cried as she finished up a letter to her parents. "I am going to take this straight up to the Owlery before dinner."

"I know we are Ravenclaws, but if I ever start acting like Granger will someone please cast a Cruciatus Curse on me until I come to my senses?" Su pleaded after Hermione left.

"Forget her. What do you two know about something called the Philosopher's Stone?"

Both Padma and Su had heard stories about the Philosopher's Stone, and they quickly told him all they knew about the legendary artifact. The Li family even had some dealings with the reclusive Nicholas Flamel and his wife Perenelle from time to time. It seemed that the six hundred year-old wizard had a taste for certain magical items from China that only their family business imported to Europe.

While the vast majority of goods in the magical world were transported by Portkey, some items were too fragile or too volatile to be moved by magical means. That is where wizards like Guo Li and Purander Patil came in. They and their wealthy families had spent decades building specialized transportation networks that stretched all around the world.

On any given day Guo Li had a fleet of over sixty yachts sailing between China and Europe. Their heavily warded cargo holds contained magical goods valued in the millions of galleons. The Patil fleet that sailed from India was nearly as large. Some muggleborns had tried using aeroplanes to undercut their business, but most purebloods thought these modern muggle methods were too risky. Besides, with the use of Wind Charms intercontinental shipping usually took no longer than a week or two.

"Do you think it would be possible to get a letter from me personally delivered to Perenelle Flamel?" Harry asked Su. "Not to Nicholas Flamel, but to his wife."

"Maybe, but something that important would have to wait until I see my mother during the holidays. I don't know if she will do it, but if she does you will owe my family a huge debt. Is that clear Potter?"

Su's mother Xiu had been born here in the United Kingdom to muggles who happened to be Chinese immigrants. Like Harry's own mother she had attended Hogwarts, but unlike Lily Evans she had not been able to find a wealthy pureblood husband. Instead after graduation she had been hired as a **secretary** to Su's father. After giving birth to two wizards and a witch, Xiu had risen to the status of an official concubine, and she was now the head of the London branch of their family business. That made her a very powerful witch he couldn't afford to double cross.

"Very clear, Su."

* * *

Harry wasn't sure what to expect as he waited for Perenelle Flamel at the front gate of the castle. She was over six-hundred years-old, so maybe a female version of Headmaster Dumbledore? What he got was a very short but attractive middle-aged witch dressed like a muggle businesswoman. Thanks to his late Aunt Petunia he had a keen eye for fashion, so he knew that her couture clothes and tasteful jewelry cost more than most people's cars. Maybe more than some people's houses.

"You must be Harry Potter," Perenelle said as she took in his ragged appearance. Months of abuse by his fellow wizards had taken a harsh toll. "No wonder Albus is keeping you hidden here in the Highlands far away from civilization."

"It is an honor to meet you Mrs Flamel," Harry said as he desperately tried to keep his composure. He knew he might have to use his Charisma on this witch, and the prospect terrified him.

"Mr Potter, your letter contained some very disturbing information. If you were lying to me about any of it I will make sure that you suffer—even if you are under Albus' protection."

"About Headmaster Dumbledore..."

"He and my husband are on the other side of the world at the moment. You said in your letter that my Stone is here at Hogwarts."

Harry took a deep breath. "Yes, it is hidden on the third floor behind some minor defenses. If you would follow me?"

He quickly learned that Perenelle was not someone he wanted to piss off. The small witch had no problem with butchering the Cerberus they encountered, and even after they were free of the Devil's Snare she kept hitting it was a powerful light spell until it was completely destroyed. Harry had never heard a plant scream before, and it was a sound he would never forget.

"Can you fly, Mr Potter?" Perenelle asked when they reached a small room full of enchanted keys that were buzzing about like angry bees.

"No, my magic doesn't seem to react properly to brooms."

"That is a pity. Flying is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a witch or wizard," Perenelle said before she graceful hopped on the old broomstick and retrieving the one key that would open the door in front of them.

"A chessboard? That is what Minerva contributed to this farce?"

With a flick of her wand all thirty-two chess pieces were transfigured into beach balls. It was kind of annoying, since they still tried to attack the two of them as they walked across the giant marble chessboard. By this point Perenelle was visible angry, and she barely slowed down as she killed the troll. Walking through the fire was fun though, and the Flame-Freezing Charm worked just like his textbook said it would.

"This was Albus' brilliant idea: the Mirror of Erised," Perenelle said in disgust when they reached the end of their quest.

"Yes, the Headmaster showed the Mirror to me a few days ago. This is the last line of defense for the Philosopher's Stone," Harry explained. Then he felt something in heavy in one of his pockets, and quickly handed it over to the witch. "Mrs Flamel, here is your Stone just like I promised in my letter."

Perenelle studied the beautiful red object for a moment before turning to study him. "Are you hungry? You have returned my husband's property to me, so I believe that I owe you a dinner."

"Sure, dinner sounds great," Harry replied.

"Good. Let us be on our way before any of Albus' lackeys try to detain us. This Portkey will take us to France."

* * *

The twelve-course meal in Paris was fantastic, even if Harry wasn't sure what he was eating half the time. And who knew that wine tasted so good? Perenelle made polite conversation, but she avoided answering any of his more important questions. It was time for a more direct approach, so he let his Charisma reach out and enter the powerful witch.

"Why would your husband risk your lives by giving Headmaster Dumbledore the Philosopher's Stone? It wasn't even protected that well."

"Mr Potter, what you have to understand is how boring life can get after six-hundred years on Earth. Albus Dumbledore and his little political dramas have always been a source of great amusement for Nicholas. And there is also the fact the Albus could... how did my hairdresser put it the other day? He could suck a golf ball through a garden hose."

Harry blushed. In fact he thought his cheeks were going to catch on fire. "My mother heard some interesting rumors about the Headmaster, but I had no idea that your husband was gay."

Perenelle snorted. "I wish. My dear husband will fornicate with anything if it has a pulse, and he wasn't always that discriminating in the past. Although I will admit that Albus was a **very** handsome man in his youth, and he could play **very** well on both sides of the pitch. Anyway, Nicholas thought it was hilarious watching your Headmaster run around Eastern Europe looking for the disembodied spirit of Tom Riddle. That is why the Philosopher's Stone was at Hogwarts. The senile old fool wants to lure the ghost back to the Highlands."

By now Harry was in a great deal of pain, but this information was too valuable to pass up. "Who is Tom Riddle?"

"That was Voldemort's real name. Personally I would have gone with Lord Riddle. It has a better ring to it."

"I thought You-Know-Who was dead?" a confused Harry asked.

"Albus thinks otherwise. He believes that the so-called Dark Lord will return from the Great Beyond," Perenelle replied dismissively. "Knowing Nicholas as I do, he probably hopes to see his friend Albus fight one last great duel before he dies."

By now the pain was too intense for Harry to continue with his questions. This performance was going to leave him in pain for a month.

"Will you please take me back to Hogwarts?"

"Yes, of course."

When they returned to the castle they were met by Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel himself. Like his wife, he was very short by modern standards. He was also so fat that he looked like one of those beach balls she had transfigured up on the third floor.

"Albus, don't even think about threatening the boy. I am a fully trained Necromancer. That means I can kill you, and then I can bring you back to life and kill you again."

"Perenelle, please allow me to explain."

"I am not interested in hearing your excuses. Nicolas, it's time to go. We are going to have a long discussion about your ridiculous plots, and it will involve a great deal of pain. For you."

The famous alchemist said nothing. He just smiled like he was looking forward to it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Dissecting a rat was bad enough, but dissecting a rat while trying to find its miniature spleen was ten times worse. The third-years would soon be brewing the Shrinking Potion, and every student needed a perfect rat's spleen. Snape insisted on inspecting each organ after Harry was done extracting it, and the bastard had rejected over half of them as defective in one way or another.

"Professor Snape, may I have a word with you?" Professor Vector asked from the classroom door.

"Yes, of course. Potter, continue what you are doing. I need at least six more spleens by tomorrow."

"Oh Snape, stop being so hard on the boy. Professor Spout was just telling me at lunch how talented Mr Potter is at Herbology."

These nightly visits by Septima were becoming more common as winter gave away to spring, and Harry was starting to believe that his plan was going to work after all. Every time he saw Snape and Septima together—which was mostly in the Great Hall during meals—he would hit her with as much of his Charisma as he could muster. Positive reinforcement, the muggles called it. But progress was slow on what he dubbed **Operation Get the Bat Laid**, since Snape was ugly and with an unpleasant personality to boot.

Septima was no prize either. The forty-something witch had a severe face and a pear-shaped figure. On the plus side she was highly intelligent, and the Vectors had been purebloods for six generations. Both Professors were notorious for the amount of homework they assigned to their students, so hopefully that would give them something to talk about. Despite Harry's lack of success he was determined to continue with the plan. Snape needed a distraction from his favorite hobby, which was tormenting his least favorite Ravenclaw.

"Potter, clean up this mess. Afterwords you can go."

As soon as Harry was out in the hallway he sat down right next to the door, and began sending his Charisma back into Snape's classroom. Since his experience with the Perenelle Flamel, Harry had been working on improving his endurance, and he could now broadcast for almost ten minutes before the pain became unbearable. After two minutes he began to overhear laughter, and around minute eight he began to feel a rhythmic thumping coming through the door. Mission accomplished for the night, but this was just the first battle. Winning the war was going to take a lot more work.

Harry had almost escaped from the Dungeons when he heard a hateful voice. "Potter! I just got an owl from my father, and I wanted to be the first one to give you the good news. The Wizengamot has awarded my mother legal custody of the Squib-Who-Lived."

Malfoy then pulled out his wand with a grand flourish. "And in case you were wondering what we're going to be doing this summer."

* * *

"I'm going to kill that snake," Harry muttered after he vomited up another slimy slug into the transfigured bucket the Headmaster had supplied for him. "Isn't there anything you can do about this?"

"I am sorry Mr Potter, but the Slug-Vomiting Charm is very tricky to reverse." Dumbledore replied. "It's simply safer to let it run its course."

"I wasn't talking about bloody Charm. I was talking about the Wizengamot's decision to make Narcissa Malfoy my legal guardian."

"I may be the Chief Warlock, but I can not dictate how the individual members of the Wizengamot vote. A decision was made, and it can not be reversed. Not even by me."

"So Malfoy wasn't lying? I have to spend the summer holidays with the family of a known Death Eater? Malfoy's father is going to arrange a fatal accident for me, isn't he?"

"Please Mr Potter, this isn't the time for melodramatics. Lucius Malfoy swore that no harm would come to you."

"And you actually believed him? Are all wizards and witches this stupid, or is it only members of our government?"

"Mr Potter! If you were to die while under Narcissa's protection, Lucius would risk losing everything he was spent his entire lifetime building. I can assure you that you will be perfectly safe until you return to Hogwarts in the fall. I have visited Malfoy Manor several times over the years, and I must say that its grounds are quite lovely. You might even enjoy your time there this summer."

Harry just vomited up another slug in response. When Perenelle confirmed that Dumbledore was actually gay he thought the Headmaster might be different from all the other men who hated him, but that clearly wasn't the case. In fact Harry was starting to believe that the old wizard actually wanted him dead. Dumbledore had done nothing to restrain the male students who constantly attacked the Squib-Who-Lived, and now he was shipping Harry off to the bloody Malfoys. What kind of game was he playing at?

* * *

"I must say that in all my years of teaching I have never met four students who have shown more promise as Animagi. You should be very proud of that you have accomplished thus far," a beaming Minerva told them.

Su nudged Harry with her foot, and glanced over at Hermione. The Professor's complements had brought the muggleborn to tears. Su just rolled her eyes in response.

During the past few months their Animagus training had consisted of meditating in hopes of finding their _**inner animal**_. None of them knew what that animal was yet, but it wasn't an insect, a fish, a bird, or a reptile. Those various animals were very different from warm-blooded mammals they all felt deep inside of themselves.

Minerva confessed that she was surprised that the four of them had the potential to be Animagi, since the talent was very rare. She had expected to lose at least two members of their group, and perhaps all four of them. Over the summer they would continue with the magical meditation techniques she had taught them, and by next fall they should know for sure what their individual forms were. Only then could they begin to learn the difficult art of self-transfiguration.

As they made their way back to the Ravenclaw Tower Hermione suddenly declared in a booming voice: "This has been the best year of my entire life! I don't know what I am going to do without the three of you this summer."

"For the love of Merlin, calm down Granger," Su told her. "If you don't learn to control your emotions one day your accidental magic will end up killing somebody, and it hadn't better not be me."

"I have to agree with Hermione," Padma said. "Living in the same house with Parvati and my mother again will be a major adjustment. They are both so... frivolous. Even worse, my mother has repeatedly threatened me with cooking lessons, and that is not how I want to spend my summer."

"I just remembered that Professor Sprout wanted me to help her in one of the greenhouses. I will see you all at dinner," Harry told the three witches before he ran off.

"Nice going you idiots," Su hissed after Harry left. "If you think your summers holidays will be rough, try to imagine living in the same house with Draco and his Death Eater parents for three months."

"Do you think Harry will be alright?" Hermione asked.

"No, I do not," Su replied darkly.

"Your families are powerful. Can't you do something to help him?"

Padma shook her head. "His legal guardianship is a strictly domestic matter, and as foreigners our influence stops at the coastline. The Wizengamot will never change its mind, no matter how many galleons we contribute to Minister Fudge and his cronies. I'm afraid that our beautiful boyfriend is on his own this summer."

* * *

Of all his classes here at Hogwarts Harry had the most fun in Herbology. Astronomy was interesting too, it wasn't really a worthy subject for a budding wizard. However dealing with magical plants was a different story. There was nothing embarrassing about excelling in the greenhouses.

"Well, look who we have here."

Suddenly Harry's entire body froze. Since Dumbledore had been a Gryffindor and Voldemort was known as the Heir of Slytherin, most people believed that the lions were the Defenders of the Light standing against the snakes and their vile Dark Arts. Personally Harry thought that was a bunch of horse shite. While the Slytherins had attacked him first, the Gryffindors were just as cruel towards him whenever they got up off their lazy arses.

Case in point: one Ronald Weasley. The ginger cretin and his twin brothers never passed up an opportunity to humiliate the Squib-Who-Lived. Harry had been the target of at least a hundred of their stupid pranks, and each one was more vicious than the last. Hell, everyone at Hogwarts knew what he looked like naked thanks to George and Fred Weasley. One minute he had been eating his breakfast in the Great Hall, and the next minute he was completely starkers. The two sods even had a camera ready to record the event for posterity.

Harry slowly turned around. This was bad. The ginger had brought the other first-year Gryffindors with him. Harry had planned on using the dangerous magical plants in the greenhouse to aid in his escape, but that won't work against four opponents. Especially when one of them was Neville Longbottom, the Herbology prodigy.

"You know that Squib, we have decided that you don't belong here at Hogwarts anymore," Weasley sneered with a flair that would have impressed Draco Malfoy. "Neville is the best student at Herbology, but all Professor Sprout can do is talk about Harry bloody Potter. So you are going to take an Unbreakable Vow not to come back to school next year. Squibs like you don't belong here—you belong out there with the muggles."

Harry was surprise that someone as stupid as Weasley came up with such an intelligent plan."Sorry Weasley, but I'm not taking an Unbreakable Vow for anybody."

The four Gryffindors laughed. "You don't have a choice. We are wizards and you are just a pathetic squib, so you'll do what we tell you to do."

Harry tried to run, but the greenhouse was too narrow and too cluttered with plants. The lions easily caught him, so he just dropped to the floor and tried to protect his head and kidneys. Harry had gain a lot of experience in taking physical punishment this year, but after only a few seconds he could tell that something was wrong. Usually the Slytherins and Gryffindors settled for inflicting the maximum amount of pain with the minimal amount of permanent damage. Tormenting the squib was fun, but not worth getting expelled over.

But this was different: Weasley and the other Gryffindors were deliberately trying to maim him. Harry could almost count as his individual ribs were broken by Weasley and Dean Thomas. Finnigan was jumping up and down on his hands, and he could just imagine how much damage that was causing. The real shocker though was Longbottom. Of all the first-year wizards he was the one who had shown the **Squib** the least amount of hostility, but now he was going his best to break both of Harry's legs. If this didn't end soon he was going to die right here in the greenhouse.

Then he heard Su. Her words were like flawless beats from a drum: "_Stupefy_. _Stupefy_. _Stupefy_. _Stupefy_."

"Where in the world did you learn to do that?" Padma asked as the unconscious Gryffindors dropped to the ground.

"My mother wasn't going to let me—her only daughter—come to a cesspool like Hogwarts without knowing how to defend myself from pureblood scum like this," Su replied calmly as she put away her wand. "Potter, are you still alive?"

"Barely," Harry replied, and as he did blood came gushing out of his mouth. "That is gross."

"Why did these animals attack you?" a crying Hermione asked as the witches knelt down beside him.

"That is a good question. I have no idea."

"You are bleeding internally in several places," Padma said checked over his beaten body with her wand. "This is way beyond my skill level. We have to get you to the Infirmary and Madam Pomfrey."

"That will not be necessary."

As if Harry's day wasn't bad enough already—now he had to deal with Professor Quirrell. When he first arrived here at Hogwarts two of his Professors had hated him from the very first day. From his mother's letters he had learned about Snape's rivalry with his father, and that explained why the Potion Master detested the very sight of James Potter's son. But nothing Harry had been able to discover about Professor Quirrell could explain his intense hatred for the Squib-Who-Lived.

"Sir, are you going to take Harry to the Infirmary, or should one of us go and fetch Madam Pomfrey?" Su asked.

Instead of answering her Quirrell drew his wand. With one casual flick the three Ravenclaw girls joined the four Gryffindor boys on the floor. The next flick cleared the magical plants from one of the large workbenches. A final flick levitated Harry up onto the empty workbench.

"Do you want to know something interesting, Mr Potter? I didn't even have to use the Imperius Curse on those four boys. All it took was a few informal conversations after class to convince them to carry out this assassination attempt. You are a very, very unpopular wizard," Quirrell remarked with a nasty smirk.

"What are you going to do to me?" Harry asked.

"You took my body ten years ago. It must have cost you almost all of your magic to do so, but I'm afraid you are going to have to die anyway. In a way your current condition makes it even more important that I quietly dispose of you this year. Who fears a Dark Lord that was defeated by a squib?"

"You're not Professor Quirrell."

"No, I am just borrowing his body for a short time."

"You're Tom Riddle."

"Who told you that name? Never mind, it doesn't matter. I was planning on letting these rabid lions kill you, but my secondary plan will have to do. I was kind of hoping for a chance to use this." The possessed Professor pulled a black knife out of his robe. It seemed to be made of stone and not metal. "It was difficult to find one of these, but I wanted something special for the occasion. This obsidian knife was used by the old Aztec wizards during their human sacrifices. The Aztecs would cut open a muggle's chest, stick their hand into the opening, and then rip out the heart while it was still beating. That is what I am going to do to you. A bit barbaric for a wizard, but it does sound rather fun."

"Please," Harry begged.

"In a way this is all your fault. The last time I tried to kill you I used my wand. That didn't work out, so now we are going to do it the old-fashioned way. The fact that it will be agonizing for you is a bonus for me."

As Quirrell's hand reached out to unbutton Harry's blood-stained dress shirt he came into contact with Harry's bare skin for a brief second. That is when it happened. The shocked Professor held up his hand only to see it begin to blacken and burn. As he screamed the spell which pressed Harry down on the workbench was disrupted for a second. Despite the pain from his beating, he managed to grab Quirrell's face with both of his hands just before he passed out.

* * *

Slowly Harry opened his eyes—it was painful to do even that. "Hello Mr Potter, I am glad to see that you're finally awake. You've been sleeping for over two days," Poppy told him.

"Was there any permanent damage?"

"No, but given how extensive your injuries were I couldn't heal everything at once. You will be restricted to bed for at least three weeks, maybe even longer," Poppy explained. "I'm sorry, but Headmaster Dumbledore insisted that I inform him the moment you regained consciousness."

An hour later Harry found himself surrounded by an interesting group of people. There was Dumbledore himself, and he had brought along glass bowl which he called a Pensieve. Also present was Minister Fudge, whom he recognized from the _Daily Prophet_. Harry had never seen the other two before, but it was easy to guess their identities. The beautiful Chinese witch was obviously Su's mother, Xiu Li. Padma's father Purander Patil was older than Harry had expected, but his gray hair only made him more imposing.

"Mr Potter, I'm going to use my wand to remove the memory of the attack from your mind, which we will then view in my Pensieve," Dumbledore explained.

As the four adults lowered their heads into the glass bowl, Harry tried to figure out what was going on. The Li and Patil families both paid a great deal in taxes to the Ministry of Magic each year, and Su said they also paid several high-ranking officials large bribes. That meant Minister Fudge would want to keep them happy, but how could they be happy if their daughters were attacked by a Dark Lord inside the wards of Hogwarts?

When Fudge came out of the Pensieve he was white as one of the castle's ghosts. "Professor Quirrell was obviously insane. You-Know-Who is dead."

Dumbledore grimaced. "Cornelius, we must..."

"We must do nothing," the Minister of Magic hissed. "One of **your** Professors was abusing the Dark Arts, and as a result he attacked several students. That is what the _Daily Prophet_ will report in tomorrow's edition. Purander, as you can see this matter is closed, and your daughter's name will be kept out of the story. You and Mrs Li have my word on that. Now good day to you both."

As they watched Fudge run from the room, Xiu Li turned to Dumbledore. "And I thought Hogwarts was a disaster during the seventies. At least back then the first-years didn't go around trying to kill each other in the greenhouses. That kind of thing was reserved for the Shrieking Shack."

"Dumbledore, you have done a fine job running this once-great school of magic into the ground," Purander added. "If I had any choice in the matter I would withdrawal Padma and Parvati tomorrow, but alas I do not. As for you Harry Potter, I admire a wizard who can take his punishment in silence." Before the Headmaster could respond the Indian wizard pulled out a Portkey and disappeared.

"It appears as it someone is selling Portkeys which can bypass the castle's wards. That something else you should look into Headmaster," Xiu remarked before she too disappeared in a flash of light.

"Sir, what happened to Quirrell?" Harry asked now that the two of them were alone.

"Professor Quirrell is dead. It seems as if the magic which protected you ten years ago is still powerful enough to defeat Voldemort in his current weakened form," Dumbledore replied. "After your Aunt Petunia's death I assumed that your mother's blood protection had faded away, but clearly I was wrong."

Inside Harry felt a sense of overwhelming rage at the stupid old wizard. If he hadn't created those blood wards in the first place none of this would have happened. But what would a young wizard with so little magical ability do against someone as powerful as Dumbledore? Absolutely nothing, that's what.

"Why is it so important to Voldemort that I die?"

"Before you were born a prophecy was given which claimed that a certain child born to certain parents on a certain date would have the power to defeat the Dark Lord. Voldemort believes that you are that child."

"But you don't believe that, do you Headmaster?"

"No, not any more," Dumbledore admitted. "Lily's protection has kept you alive thus far, but Voldemort will soon find a way to negate it. After that protection is gone how could you possible defeat a wizard of Voldemort's power?"

"What about the four Gryffindors who attacked me?"

"They were under the Imperius Curse."

"That isn't what Voldemort said."

"He was lying," Dumbledore said in a harsh tone. "Those poor boys are victims in this matter—just like you. Am I making myself clear?"

"Is it true what Weasley said?" Harry asked in a dead voice as he closed his eyes. "That a squib like me shouldn't be allowed to attend Hogwarts?"

"Normally that is true, but since you are the Boy-Who-Lived you haven't been asked to leave. Nor will you be asked to leave—it would cause too much embarrassment for too many important wizards."

"Is Malfoy's father Lucius going to kill me this summer?"

"Perhaps. One never knows what a Slytherin will do, or why."

To Harry it sounded like the Headmaster was talking about tomorrow's weather forecast. It might rain, or it might not. Harry Potter might die before his twelfth birthday, or he might not. Either way Dumbledore really didn't give a damn.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Well, isn't this a sad sight. Harry Potter lying in the Hogwarts Infirmary after being savagely beaten by a Professor and several other students. What will my loyal readers think about all of this? Probably whatever I tell them to."

Damn. The Headmaster had left only a few minutes ago, and Poppy wasn't back yet. That left Harry defenseless against this hideous blonde with her hideous clothes. And her makeup... it looked like it was plastered on by a three year-old. A drunk three year-old.

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

"Harry, I'm hurt that you don't recognize me. I've written dozens of dazzling articles about the Boy-Who-Lived," the witch said as she sat down on the edge of his bed. She then ran her long fingernails over the casts on his legs. It was creepy behavior considering their respective ages. "I'm Rita Skeeter, the star reporter of the _Daily Prophet_. And I would just **love** to know what really went on in that greenhouse."

"How could you write about me if we've never met before today?"

"A reporter of my caliber doesn't let little things like that stand in the way of a good article."

It was hard to think with all the potions that Poppy had poured down his throat, but even in this sorry state Harry realized that he needed allies. Dumbledore had just told him that a Dark Lord wanted him dead because of some crazy prophecy. Maybe he could use this Rita Skeeter. Aunt Petunia once told him that tabloid reporters would sell their own children into slavery for a shot at the front-page.

"What about Minister Fudge?" Harry asked. "Doesn't he want this whole mess kept out of the _Daily Prophet_?"

"Clever boy. To be precise Minister Fudge said that he would keep the names of Padma Patil and Su Li out of the story. Everything else is fair game—especially if it takes that obsolete dingbat Albus Dumbledore down a few pegs," Rita explained. "Besides Harry, people are hearing all sorts of odd rumors about you. They say that you are a weak wizard, maybe even a squib. If you told your side of the story first those rumors might go away."

She had a point. Everyone in the magical world already believed that the Boy-Who-Lived had killed You-Know-Who. If they found out that Harry had killed a second wizard—a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor no less—they might be afraid of him. And hopefully if they were afraid of him they would stop attacking him. He might even make it through the summer without being murdered by Lucius Malfoy.

"OK Rita, this is what happened..."

Harry explained how Professor Quirrell had used some sort of dark curse on the Gryffindor first-years, and he was happy to give Rita with all of their correctly spelled names. He left out the fact that Su had rescued him. Instead he jumped to the part where Quirrell had trapped him, and was going to use his body as part of a dark and depraved ritual. (That sounded like the sort of thing you would read in a magical tabloid.) However his wandless magic had spontaneously killed the powerful adult wizard. But it wasn't really murder, since he was only acting in self-defense. Harry knew that none of what he was telling Rita was an outright lie, but it wasn't the truth either.

"So you are actually admitting to me that you killed Professor Quirrell?" Rita asked in an incredulous tone.

"Like I said, it was self-defense. And who knows, Quirrell might have been planning on killing those other four boys once he was finished with me. So I saved their lives too. Maybe." All those potions were really having a powerful effect on him.

"So what was Dumbledore's part in all of this?"

"That is an absolutely brilliant question. Isn't the Headmaster of Hogwarts supposed to know if one of his Professors was gone completely daft?" Harry asked rhetorically. "I must say Rita, you are as intelligent as you are beautiful."

That got a sly wink from the hag. "You've given me more than enough juicy details for a front-page article in tomorrow's _Daily Prophet_. Would you mind if I took a few pictures to go with it?"

"By all means, but make sure you get all four of my broken limbs in the frame." If he was going to suffer through a painful recovery for three weeks, he might as well get some sympathetic press out of it.

"You know Harry, if you were five years older I would owe you a good rogering right about now," Rita said with a smile that showed-off all three of her gold teeth.

* * *

Harry had expected Dumbledore to come storming down to the Infirmary the next morning after he read the _Daily Prophet_, but instead the Headmaster just ignored Rita's scathing article. Despite all the pain he was in, the last week of school wasn't bad. Su, Padma, and Hermione all moved into the Infirmary with him. They still went to their classes and to the library when necessary, but the rest of the time they stayed by his side. Even with his injuries Harry was able to finish his schoolwork for the year, and he did well on all his written exams. Of course he failed his practical exams in Transfiguration, Charms, and DADA. The latter was given by Dumbledore himself, not that it mattered when it came to his grade.

Poppy was scandalized when she found the three girls sleeping in the Infirmary one morning. Rather than back down Su argued that Harry had almost died at Hogwarts, and they weren't leaving him alone no matter how many house points they lost for Ravenclaw. In the end Poppy was so ashamed of Quirrell's actions out in the greenhouse that she dropped the subject. Strangely enough it was their meals which caused the biggest problem for the four friends.

"Are you telling me that enslaved magical creatures cook all the food we eat?" Hermione asked in horror after a house-elf delivered their lunch one afternoon.

"They also clean the castle and do our laundry," Su pointed out. "Isn't any of this in _Hogwarts: A History_?"

"No," Hermione bellowed. "I can **not** believe that slavery exists in this day and age. This situation is totally unacceptable."

"If you feel so strongly about it then you can volunteer to cook and clean for the rest of us," Su offered. "There are only about three hundred people in the castle."

The argument between the two witches went downhill from there, and it quickly gave Harry and Padma a headache. The only thing that shut the pair up was Harry's sponge-bathes. Much to his embarrassment the three witches didn't have a problem stripping him naked every morning and every night.

"You do know that Poppy can keep me clean with magic," Harry cried the first morning. His legs were still in casts, so running away wasn't an option.

"I'm sorry, but we can't allow that. A Scouring Charm might complicate your recovery," Padma explained.

"You just made that up."

"Potter, shut up," Su ordered. "We are first-years. Nothing is going to happen even if we wanted it to—which we don't."

"You don't have anything be ashamed of," Padma added. "We understand that your body hasn't gone through puberty yet."

"Really? It looks big enough to me."

"Hermione!" her three friends yelled.

Soon the school year came to an end, and Narcissa Malfoy walked into the Infirmary right during his last sponge-bath. "Well, isn't this an interesting sight," the tall and aristocratic witch remarked while Padma quickly covered Harry up with a bed sheet.

Su drew her wand. "We know we can't stop you from taking Harry, but know this: if he doesn't come back to Hogwarts in one piece we will hunt down your worthless son and kill him."

Narcissa laughed. "Brave words little girl, but if you touch one hair on Draco's perfect head I will put you over my knee and give you a good spanking."

"No, you listen to me you provincial pissant," Su shot right back. "You and your in-bred husband may be the big cheese here in this insignificant backwater, but our families have real power in the real world."

"You inspire a great deal of loyal in your friends Harry Potter." Narcissa said as she snapped her figures. A magical wheelchair suddenly floated into the Infirmary. "Are you ready to see your new home for the next six years?"

"Why does it have wheels if it floats?" Hermione asked despite the tension in the room.

"The muggles," Narcissa replied as she continued to eye Su carefully. "We can't have them asking any inconvenient questions when we are out in public, now can we? I also brought the car to take you back to Wiltshire, since a ride on the Hogwarts Express would be ill-advised in your current condition."

"The great Malfoy family owns a car?" Harry asked. "Draco is always going on about the filthy muggles."

"Draco is young and foolish, much like your friend here," Narcissa replied. "And yes we do have a muggle car. It is a nineteen sixty-one Rolls-Royce Phantom V, but to be fair to my son it has been heavily enchanted over the years."

"Su, please put away your wand," Harry said as the standoff continued. "The Wizengamot's decision is final, and I wouldn't put it pass Lucius Malfoy to have you arrested by the Aurors if you continue to interfere."

"Fine," Su said through clenched teeth. "But remember: if Harry dies, Draco dies."

Narcissa's smile contained an ocean of condescension. "Come my boy, let's get you dressed for your trip home."

* * *

Much to his amazement Harry's first few weeks at Malfoy Manor were quite agreeable. Draco was your average twelve year-old wizard, and he hated being fussed over by his mother. Harry on the other hand loved female companionship, so he got along famously with Narcissa. Or Cissy as she insisted on being called. Lucius was another matter, but after one nasty encounter the older wizard he kept his distance from his famous house-guest. He finally asked Cissy why her husband was being such a polite host.

"Harry, you just killed a wizard a week ago. Professor Quirrell wasn't strong, but he wasn't weak either. And there is also the matter of your victory over the Dark Lord, who was a wizard of incredible strength. Draco can insist that you are a squib until he is blue in the face, but a track record of two dead bodies is intimating to most wizards. Lucius would love to see you dead, but not at the risk of his own neck."

"And what about you?"

"Thanks to your grandmother Dorea you are a member of the Black family, and there only five of us left outside the walls of Azkaban. Too many Blacks have been already been lost, so even half-bloods like you and my niece Nymphadora are needed to help keep the family from fading away," Cissy explained. "But enough about that. How would you like to pick out a new wardrobe? I burned everything you brought with you from Hogwarts."

"Why did you do that? I like my clothes."

"I will pretend I didn't hear that. Those rags were so disgustingly... muggle. I can't believe you walked around the castle in them without dying from shame."

"I can't go to Diagon Alley like this," Harry said as he gestured down towards his battered and broken body.

"Silly boy, when you have as many galleons as Lucius does you don't go to the shops—the shops come to you."

Cissy was certainly right. Over a dozen shopkeepers visited Malfoy Manor during the next week, thrilled at the opportunity to serve such a famous and wealthy and fashionable client. After Cissy had replaced everything from his undergarments to his neckties she turned her attention to his glasses.

"They are all wrong for the shape of your face. You will definitely need three or four new pairs, so you can rotate them depending on the social occasion."

The magical version of an optometrist was a kindly old witch who brought several fairies along with her. The tiny creatures flew around the room while the witch recorded his eye movements with her wand. When it came to picking out frames Cissy completely ignored his opinions in favor of her own. However he couldn't really argue with the end results, since they did look better than his old glasses.

Since Harry had never been examined by an independent Healer, he decided to press his luck and asked for a visit to St Mungo's Hospital. This request made Cissy instantly suspicious. She had been sorted into Slytherin just like the rest of her family.

"Madam Pomfrey comes to check on you ever other day. What possible reason could you have for wanting to see another Healer?"

"Do you really trust Headmaster Dumbledore? Because I don't."

That comment earned him a smile, and a new Healer arrived the next day. That is when the shite hit the fan. After only ten minutes Healer Oberg found the runes inscribed on his bones, and he also discovered the reason for their existence. Since Madam Pomfrey was the only Healer who had been permitted near the Boy-Who-Lived she was arrested by the end of the day.

The Wizengamot wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with Harry Potter or his magic, but something had to be done and Madam Pomfrey was a convenient scapegoat. She was given the Dementor's Kiss later that week despite her claims of innocence. The Memory Charm she cast on herself had lasted until the very end.

"I'm sorry Mr Potter, but your condition can't be reversed," Healer Oberg informed Harry after a long series of tests and medical rituals. "Whatever caused this problem with your magic happened over a period of several years, and has brought about irreversible changes to your magical core. The runes cut into your bones are the only thing which allow you to survive in a magical environment, even if they are illegal."

"And you promised the Wizengamot that the Boy-Who-Lived would be safe," Lucius Malfoy pointed out to Dumbledore. Both wizards had suddenly taken an interest in Harry Potter when news of this scandal broke in the _Daily Prophet_, and they insisted on accompanying him to St Mungo's.

"Mr Potter was perfectly safe living with his late Aunt," Dumbledore replied. "His current medical condition was clearly caused by Voldemort's attack back in nineteen eight-one."

This offhanded diagnosis enraged Healer Oberg. "Albus, you have no idea what caused this problem. If Harry Potter had been brought to us sooner we might have been able to help him in some way. But now thanks to your neglect he has been crippled for the rest of his life."

Harry wanted to tell everyone the truth about what had happened with the blood wards, but he was afraid of the consequences if he did. Poppy's sudden execution had horrified him. Would the same thing happen to Dumbledore if the truth came out? Harry hated the Headmaster, but he was the only one who could protect Hogwarts if Voldemort returned. And he couldn't do that if he was dead. So for now Dumbledore would get away with his many crimes, but Harry promised himself that someday the bastard would pay.

* * *

By the beginning of July Harry was able to walk around Malfoy Manor using only one of the family's Slytherin pimp canes. Malfoy the Elder had taken Malfoy the Younger on a trip to Russia were they would be doing a spot of muggle-hunting. At least that is what Cissy had told him. He hoped that she was only joking, but he had a nasty feeling that she wasn't. The Manor itself was huge and rather beautiful. Still, Harry was nervous about walking around unescorted. Who knows what sort of deathtraps Malfoy the Elder had lying around his ancestral home?

"Saffron." That was the name of Cissy's personal house-elf, who quickly appeared after being summoned.

"Master Harry, how may I help?" The Malfoy's female house-elf was much better-spoken than their male house-elf Dobby.

"Where is Cissy?"

"In the Green Drawing Room."

"Thank you, Saffron."

Cissy was indeed in the Green Drawing Room where she was entertaining a guest who looked like Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. But it was hard for Harry to be sure, because the two witches were naked and locked in a violent embrace on the sofa. When he first saw this scene Harry thought he was going to vomit, but the sensation passed and he decided to watch. Cissy and Amelia weren't paying any attention to their surroundings, but that changed after they both cried out in pain and stopped moving. He had no idea sex was so... unpleasant.

"Great Merlin!" Cissy yelled when she saw him sitting across the room. "Harry, how long have you been there?"

"I thought you set up a privacy ward," Amelia hissed as she grabbed their discarded robes from the floor.

"I did, but it would only alert us if someone entered the Manor."

"Potter was already **inside** the Manor. It you weren't so beautiful I would kill you," Amelia snarled as the two quickly got dressed. "I know you like the boy, but he is too young to keep our secret. We have to cast a Memory Charm on him."

When Harry heard those words he struck with his Charisma for the first time since the attack at Hogwarts. For some reason it didn't seem as painful as before. "I think that you should both sit down, and tell me what is going on. What is so bloody important that you have to use a Memory Charm on me?"

"If Lucius ever found out that Amelia and I are lovers he would see it as both a personal and a political betrayal," Cissy explained without hesitation. "In his bigoted mind killing me would be the only proper course of action."

"That would suck. How did you two meet? I thought you were political enemies."

"Lucius is my enemy, not his wife," Amelia replied. "After the fall of Voldemort I offered to protect Cissy and her son Draco from the Ministry of Magic in return for..."

"You blackmailed her for sex?" a furious Harry asked. He had grown fond of Cissy in the short time they had lived together here at the Manor.

"Male Aurors do it all the time, and no one bats an eye. If Cissy didn't enjoy herself I would have left her alone a long time ago," Amelia said with a great deal of passion.

"It is true Harry. After our first few meetings we fell in love."

"But I don't understand—why you don't just leave your husband?" Harry asked. "Amelia is the Head of the DMLE. Isn't she powerful enough to protect you?"

"Our barbaric marriage contract states that only Lucius can file for a divorce, and he would rather see me dead than let me go."

Harry thought about the situation for a while as his Charisma kept the two witches at bay. If the Malfoys got a divorce, Lucius would kick Cissy out of the Manor. And since she was his legal guardian he would get kicked out of the Manor too. That sounded great to him, and living under the protection of a powerful witch like Amelia Bones would be an added bonus.

"Cissy, I have an idea. We're going to convince old Lucius that **he** wants a divorce."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Can you see me now?" Harry asked as he tried on one of the Malfoy's best invisibility cloaks. He had given his father's Cloak to Hermione for safekeeping over the summer, since he knew Draco would steal the precious heirloom if he found it in Harry's trunk.

"Stop worrying. That cloak cost over a hundred galleons—it works perfectly," a distracted Cissy said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this harebrained scheme tonight? If any of the guests sense your presence I won't be able to protect you."

"We don't have any choice. I must be in the same room with them the first time if this has any chance of working. So when does our test subject arrive?" Harry asked.

"The horrid cow should be here within the hour."

"A cow? You said we was beautiful."

"I misspoke. That horrid bitch should be here within the hour."

"I thought you **wanted** a divorce," Harry whined.

"You're a male. You can't possible understand what it's like to watch your husband behave like a dog in heat," Cissy snapped. "Lucius has been sniffing around that bitch and her Vault for years, so of course I hate her. Remember to stay hidden until I give you the signal. Right now I have to go and play the proper pureblood hostess."

Over the next hour the guests trickled in. The last to arrive was a staggeringly beautiful witch, and if Cissy cared to dispute that description Bianca Zabini had seven rich (and dead) husbands to prove it. Harry thought dark-skinned witch was a perfect blend of African and European features, and her slim body had a set of curves worthy of a supermodel. Now that the guests were all here, they made their way to the large dining room. Of the fifteen wizards and witches present, five had taken Voldemort's Dark Mark during the last war.

Lucius looked impeccable as he stood to address the table. If Draco had even half of his father's intelligence and magical strength, Harry never would have survived his first year at Hogwarts. Luckily the boy was an idiot.

"I would like to welcome you all to Malfoy Manor this evening. I sincerely hope you enjoy our hospitality."

As part of their plan Cissy had seated Bianca Zabini right next to her husband at the head of the table. While Lucius—and every other straight male at the table—was physically attracted to the witch, the real prize was her Vault. Each wizard she had married over the years was wealthier than the last, and each met an untimely death soon after the honeymoon was over. As a result she was one of the richest witches in Europe.

On the other hand Lucius was without question the richest wizard in Europe, but he was always looking to increase his fortune. Marrying Bianca was an obvious idea, but she had never responded to any of his overtures before tonight. That changed when Harry attacked. Now the beautiful witch was very responsive, and Lucius soon found himself aroused by her presence. Almost too aroused.

Both Bianca and Lucius were always on guard against love potions. They were both gold-diggers, so they natural feared that other gold-diggers might try to trap them in turn. Thankfully there was no way to detect his unique Charisma as it flowed into Bianca.

To get Lucius in the proper frame of mind Cissy had ventured out into the muggle world at Harry's suggestion. There she procured a new drug called Sildenafil, which was being tested in a Welch hospital at the time. (He had read about it in the _Sunday Times _last summer.) Saffron the house-elf had spiked Lucius' glass of wine with the drug before dinner. Now the Sildenafil was giving him an intense erection and a slight bluish tinge to his vision.

As Harry watched from under the invisibility cloak Bianca and Lucius discretely drew their wands. They both checked their food and drink for any **magical** potions. They found nothing, and assumed their physical reactions were all-natural. After that they began to flirt outrageously with each other as Cissy sat quietly at the other end of the table. It was humiliating for the proud witch to watch this spectacle in front of her guests, but it was necessary if their plan was going to work.

To distract himself from the pain of his burning runes, Harry began listening to the dinner conversation. It was depressing. The wizards and witches complained about their parents getting old and sick, and their children being ungrateful brats who didn't try hard enough in school. They complained about corrupted politicians who wanted to raise taxes, and shop owners who overcharged for shoddy merchandise. Take out a few magical terms here and there, and it sounded just like the crap he use to overhear at his Aunt Petunia's garden parties.

After dinner Lucius and Bianca broke away from the others—they didn't even try to be discrete about it. Harry followed the new couple back up to Lucius' private study on the second floor of the Manor. The wards around the room were impressive, but Cissy the Slytherin had figured out how to bypass them years ago. She didn't like the idea of her husband keeping any secrets from her.

As Harry watched the sweaty pair thrusting away on top of Lucius' antique desk he didn't feel like vomiting at all. Instead he was wondering if he would be doing this with Su in a year or two when his body finally went through puberty. Harry knew the forceful little witch would insist on being his first, which was fine by him. But what about Padma and especially Hermione, who was so emotional fragile? Hopefully Su would have some sort of plan worked out by then.

* * *

Another secret Lucius mistakenly thought that he had kept hidden from his clever wife was his bachelor flat near the Ministry of Magic in London. It was there that he met Bianca for their daily shag over the next few weeks. Cissy had an extensive spy network which she used to keep tabs her husband's comings and goings. Thanks to this timely intelligence Harry was able to travel to the flat every day to help speed things along. The constant effort left him in agony.

Thankfully at a certain point his help was no longer required, and the affair took on a life of its own. Harry was coming to realize that his Charisma had very real limits. He could convince Cissy and Amelia to help him because they were in love, and it was in **their** best interest to do so. By the same token Lucius and Bianca wanted each other—or at least they wanted each others' galleons—and that attraction is what made his harebrained scheme a success. If he had tried to match Bianca with an ugly and poor wizard, no amount of his magic would have been able to overcome her natural resistence.

In was in the middle of August when the situation finally came to a head. Lucius called Cissy into his study one afternoon. He was sitting at the same antique desk where the affair had started weeks before.

"Narcissa, I have just returned from the Ministry of Magic where I formally dissolved our marriage. I want you and that foul squib out of the Manor by the end of the day."

"Who is she?" Cissy asked with tears in her eyes. She had to act the part of a wronged wife, even if this is what she wanted all along.

"That is none of your concern. I will be keeping your dowry. You can move in with your sister the blood traitor, and her mudblood husband. The Potter boy will fit right in at their disgusting hovel," Lucius remarked with a smile.

"There is nothing I can legally do about this. But if the rumors I've been hearing are true and you are going to marry Bianca Zabini, I hope you know what you're going. Because it isn't only your life that you're risking, but also the life of our son. If that witch is planning to make off with the Malfoy fortune—and we both know that she is—when Draco will have to die first."

"Draco will be perfectly safe. Better than safe, since the size of his inheritance is about to increase dramatically," Lucius said. "I doubt that Blaise Zabini will live long enough to take his OWLs. Draco tells me he is poor health for such a young wizard."

"You think you can outfox Bianca Zabini? I'm sure that's what her last seven husbands thought," Cissy said. In truth she was terrible worried about leaving Draco behind at the Manor, but as a pureblood witch she had no options. "Keep him safe Lucius. Whatever you do, keep Draco safe."

* * *

While Amelia and Cissy were having their much-delayed reunion in the bedroom of Amelia's Diagon Alley flat, Harry was going through one of the several trunks that they had managed to smuggle out of Malfoy Manor over the summer. There were full of all kinds of expensive treasures. Cissy's skill as a thief was impressive, but it was as an embezzler where she truly shined. Over the course of her marriage she had siphoned off over a million galleons from the Malfoy Vault into her old Narcissa Black Vault, which Lucius knew nothing about. When combined with Harry's own fortune it made for an impressive war chest, but they would need to find a lot more galleons before Voldemort returned.

Speaking of the Dark Lord: it seemed that Voldemort had given his loyal Death Eater one of his old school diaries. Cissy had stolen it, and left a fake copy back at the Manor. The diary was marked as the property of Tom Riddle, but the rest of the pages were blank for some reason. On a lark Harry decided to write on one of the blank pages, and to his amazement the diary wrote back. The flowing handwriting simply appeared on the page

_It's almost like magic_, Harry thought with a smirk.

"Who are you?" the diary wrote.

"That's not important, who are you?" Harry wrote back on the blank page, and to his surprise the enchanted diary gave him a completely honest answer.

"I am a trap created by a Hogwarts student named Tom Marvolo Riddle. My task is to cleanse the school of all muggleborn students, and I have been given Tom Marvolo Riddle's memories in order to achieve that goal."

_Well, this is an interesting development_, he thought as Cissy's cry of ecstasy rang out from the bedroom.

The diary turned out to be Harry's first lucky break since the death of his Aunt Petunia, although he only figured out why later on. Since his magic was constricted by those damn runes, it saturated every single cell in his body—including the cells in his brain. As a result his natural Occlumency shields weren't simply powerful, they were nigh invulnerable.

The sixteen year-old Tom Riddle had been clever when he designed his enchanted diary, but even his genius wasn't enough to defeat Harry's powerful mental shields. He could ask the diary anything about Riddle's memories, and it had no choice but to answer. Over the next few weeks they had some very enlightening conversations about the disturbed teenager who later became a Dark Lord.

* * *

"You wanted to see me," Mad-Eye Moody growled as he sat down in Amelia's office.

"I want you to watch a Pensieve memory of the Potter boy being attacked by Professor Quirrell at Hogwarts," Amelia told her old friend and colleague. Harry had told her all about his first year at Hogwarts after he moved into her flat.

Moody emerged from the Pensieve ten minutes later. "Dumbledore has always maintained that Voldemort wasn't dead, but I can't believe he possessed this Quirrell fellow for a year without somebody on the staff noticing."

"That was my first thought as well, so I personally interviewed several of Quirrell's relatives and friends," Amelia said. "Everything I've been able to learn suggests that the man was just not capable of taking the life of an innocent child. He was a shy, unassuming school teacher. Not a cold-blooded killer."

Like a good Auror, Moody tried to play the devil's advocate. "You know from your time working murder cases that it's always the quiet ones that surprise you. They seem normal for years and years, but then one day they snap without any warning. We've seen things like this happen before—there was that witch in Bristol who killed her husband, and then fed him to their pet Kneazle."

"Mary Cromwell had a checkered history. She was expelled from Hogwarts for attacking a fellow student, and she was also arrested twice for violent outbursts in Diagon Alley. There was nothing like that in Quirrell's background," Amelia argued. "All my instincts are telling me that this case is unique. What Quirrell tried to do in that greenhouse was a premeditated act of barbarism planned by a wizard that lacked any sense of morality. Who does that sound like to you?"

"For the sake of argument let's say you are right. Voldemort is still alive, but he doesn't seem to have a physical body. If that's true then there isn't much we can do about it. You can't arrest a spirit, or whatever he is at the moment."

"I know you have always respected Albus Dumbledore, but we both know he was losing the war back during the seventies," Amelia said bluntly. "If the Potter boy hadn't provided us a miracle that Halloween night we would both be dead by now, along with a lot of other people we care about."

"I can't deny any of that," Moody said. "Albus is the single greatest duelist I have ever seen, but he was a lousy field general."

"As things stand now, the Ministry of Magic would last for no more than a year against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. After that the Wizengamot would vote to surrender. If we want to prevent that from happening, something has to change. I think we should eliminate some of Dark Lord's supporters before he regains a physical body."

"You are talking about cleaning out Azkaban."

Amelia just nodded. The most fanatical of Voldemort's followers were kept at the isolated North Sea prison, and it would be easy to arrange accidents for them without anyone here at the Ministry knowing about it. Over the years Moody had often spoken forcefully of doing just that, but Dumbledore wouldn't hear of it. Now they both realized that the old wizard's time had passed. This new war would require a certain... moral flexibility.

"Get me into Azkaban Saturday night around midnight, and I'll take care of everything," Moody finally said. "It would be best if you don't know any of the details in case you are given Veritaserum by the Wizengamot. Just make sure that the Aurors you have on duty when I arrive can be trusted with this kind of thing."

As Moody limped out of her office Amelia sat back in her chair and wondered if she had just lost her immortal soul to the darkness. While she was being honest with her old friend about wanting to weaken Voldemort and the Death Eaters, she had neglected to tell him all of her reasons for wanting the prisoners of Azkaban dead.

Amelia loved Cissy Black beyond reason, but she also knew that the spoiled witch had become accustomed to a lavish lifestyle during her marriage to Lucius Malfoy. A lifestyle that someone living on a Ministry of Magic salary simply could not afford. However if the members of the Lestrange family were to die without any heirs, Cissy would inherit a large share of her sister Bellatrix's Vault. That many galleons would keep her in high style for years to come.

_We are all fools in love_, Amelia thought as the tears streamed down her face.

* * *

On the first of September Harry ventured out into muggle London. There he met Su, Padma, Hermione, and their mothers for a pleasant breakfast before they all made their way to King's Cross Station together. According to the girls the crowd at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters was even more chaotic than last year, but Harry was too distracted to notice. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with his fellow wizards again. Not at all.

"Mr Potter, we would like to have a word with you."

Harry turned around and saw a sight out of one of his worst nightmares. It was the four boys from Gryffindor who had almost killed him last year, and they were surrounded by adults who were obviously their parents and relatives. The older witch behind Neville Longbottom was acting as their spokeswomen.

"What do you want?" Harry asked.

Longbottom, Weasley, Finnegan, and Thomas all began talking at the same time. They were tying to apologize for the attack, but it was clear to Harry that none of them were being sincere about it. This was a set-up arranged by their parents, or maybe by the Headmaster himself. Even if Dumbledore no longer believed in the prophecy, Harry was still the Boy-Who-Lived. That meant he still had political power in the magical world—power that Dumbledore wanted for his own ends.

"Harry, do not accept their apologies. These boys are just trying to **weasel out** of the Life Debts they owe you," Cissy said as she smiled at a furious ginger witch who was probably Weasley's mum.

"We don't owe the squib anything."

"Yes, young Ronald, you most certainly do," Cissy told him in her most patronizing tone. "Harry will collect those Life Debts when it serves his best interests, and not a moment before. You should all be ashamed of yourselves for trying to take advantage of the poor boy."

"I am curious Narcissa—did you hear about what happened to your sister Bellatrix?" Augusta Longbottom asked. "She tried to hang herself after her husband died, but the psychotic witch bungled the job. The Aurors say that it must have taken her at least five minutes to suffocate to death. It sounded very painful to me, but then that is exactly what she deserved."

"Is there a problem here?" Amelia asked as she came over with her niece Susan in tow. "I hope you all realize that Harry Potter could still press charges against these four boys if he wanted to. They might be too young for Azkaban, I could easily have them expelled from Hogwarts if they continue to harass the Boy-Who-Lived."

That sent the boys and their families running. Amelia could be very intimidating at times, and she hated anyone who upset her precious Cissy Black. After everyone calmed down, Harry and the others quickly said their goodbyes and got on the Hogwarts Express. Unfortunately Susan and her best friend Hannah tried to join them in their train compartment. Su thought that was a lousy idea.

"Get lost. Potter belongs to us, and we aren't going to share him with any fat Hufflesluts," Su hissed as she sent several painful curses in their direction.

"What was that all about?" Padma asked after Susan and Hannah fled from the compartment in terror.

"What? Potter is finally wearing some decent clothes, and he has killed two wizards."

"It was self-defense **both** times," Harry snapped. "And Voldemort isn't really dead."

Su rolled her eyes. "Whatever. That kind of dangerous reputation will attract a lot of other witches, and I'm not willing to share our boyfriend with anyone else. Are you?"

"No," Hermione blurted out. She quickly covered her mouth with her hands, and began to blush furiously.

"Isn't that Harry's decision to make?" a confused Padma asked.

"Yes, isn't that my decision to make?"

"Keep telling yourself that Potter," Su replied as she sat down on his lap for the long trip north to Hogsmeade.

* * *

**Author's Note**: (1) Sildenafil was the original name of the drug Viagra, which was undergoing clinical trials in Wales during the early nineties. (2) In this story the diary is not a Horcrux. It's just a trap Voldemort created for his own sick amusement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"I am afraid this is quite impossible," Minerva said when she heard the news about their Animagi forms. "There has never been a recorded instance of four individuals sharing the same animal form."

"I wish it was bloody impossible," Harry muttered.

"Professor McGonagall, I don't understand what the problem is. We did the meditation exercises over the summer just like you told us to, and we are very sure of our results," Hermione explained.

"But Miss Granger, for a wizard and three witches to share the same form. Of a magical creature, no less. It is inconceivable."

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." Harry said, quoting the _Princess Bride_. This caused Hermione and Su to breakout into giggles, while Padma silently prayed to Shiva for the strength to deal with her muggle-loving friends.

"Mr Potter, I will not tolerate any more of your check. Now I will ask you once again, what are your Animagi forms?"

"Professor McGonagall, I swear on the grave of my Aunt Petunia that I'm a unicorn Animagus. That is the single worst animal a **wizard** could possible be, so why would I be lying about it?"

"It's the truth, we are all unicorn Animagi," Su added. "And I don't appreciate being called a liar."

"Professor McGonagall, we would never lie to you about anything. I swear," Hermione said with tears in her eyes.

"Very well, I believe you Miss Granger. But you all must understand how unusual this is. One's Animagus form is a reflection of your personality—of your very soul. The four of you are very different from each other, so it should be impossible for you to have the same form."

"I believe that the unicorn is only a reflection of Harry's personality," Padma suggested. "Like Harry they prefer to deal only with young female virgins, and they react poorly to the presence of males. And since each stallion has several mares, it's only natural that the three of us are linked to him in this fashion."

"Miss Patil, what are you suggesting?" Minerva asked in a scandalized tone.

"Padma, I am **not** one of Potter's broodmares," Su hissed.

"Keep telling yourself that Su," Harry said with a grin.

"I think you would definitely be the boss mare," Hermione said in an attempt to reassure her feisty friend.

"What is a boss mare?" Padma asked. "I've never heard that specific phase before."

"While the stallion is out defending the herd, the boss mare leads the other females on their daily search for water and food," Hermione explained. "She also drinks and eats before the other mares."

"That sounds just like you," Harry said.

"Just so you know Unicorn Boy, this herd isn't getting any bigger while I'm the boss mare," Su snapped. "You will just have to be satisfied with the three of us—unless you have a sudden urge to become a gelding."

At this point poor Minerva McGonagall fainted dead away.

* * *

Since Harry had found Tom Riddle's magical diary he had learned a great deal from it, but he still had his doubts. Some of the information it shared seemed beyond belief, so today Harry was going to test whether the diary was lying. To that end he climbed the stairs all the way up to the seventh floor of the castle, and found the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. The diary said you had to walk back and forth three times while thinking of what you needed, and then this special room would provide it for you.

Amazingly a door magical appeared in the wall opposite the tapestry, just as the diary predicted it would. Harry knew that this might be an elaborate trap designed by the young Tom Riddle, but he had to find out if the diary could be trusted or not. He carefully opened the new door and found a room the size of a cathedral. It was filled with endless piles of junk. Some of it looked like it had sat there for centuries, maybe since the founding of Hogwarts. There was a name for thousand year-old junk: antiques.

Harry thought that selling some of these "antiques" would go a long way towards paying for the war against Voldemort. But how to get it out of Hogwarts, and who to sell it to? Of course. Cissy would love to be part of a scheme like this, and she had all the necessary skills to pull it off. Harry quickly wrote her a note on a spare piece of parchment, and then called for Saffron. The house-elf had gone into exile with her beloved mistress instead of staying at Malfoy Manor. She appeared a second later with a quiet pop.

"Take this note and all the jewelry in this room to Cissy, but make sure Amelia Bones isn't there when you make the deliveries. Bring whatever she doesn't want to keep back here to Hogwarts. After you are done with the jewelry, start taking the books. This doesn't have to be done in one day, so you are allowed to keep up with your regular chores. Do you understand my instructions?"

"Master Harry, it will be as you say," Saffron replied.

It was sad. Even female house-elves loved him.

Harry left the robbery in Saffron's capable hands, since he needed to talk with broodmares. (Su **hated** that term, so he used it as often as possible.) But where would they be at this hour? The library, of course. Now that he knew the diary wasn't lying to him, he wanted to start teaching them some of the strange magic Tom Riddle had discovered during his early years at Hogwarts.

"Hello Harry, we are just revising our Potions essays for tomorrow," Hermione told him when he found the three of them in a quiet corner of the library. "Is your essay finished?"

"No, but that isn't what I want to talk to you about," Harry replied. Given all the detentions he had served with Professor Snape his potions skills were quite advanced, and he was doing well in the class. "Su, could you please cast a privacy ward?"

"Sure." Su's mother had taught her some very useful magic, and despite being a second-year she could already cast several complex wards. "Now what is so important that it couldn't wait until tonight?"

"Have any of you ever heard of Legilimency and Occlumency?" Harry asked.

"Legilimency is a type of magic used to read the thoughts of another wizard or witch," Padma answered at once. "Occlumency is a form of defense used against Legilimency."

"That's right, and I want to teach you three how to do it. I think it will really help with your Animagus transformations." Minerva was amazed at Harry's rapid progress with self-transfiguration, and he believed that his natural ability with the two types of mind magic was a major reason behind his success.

"Who taught you Legilimency and Occlumency?" Su asked. "Was it Narcissa Black or Amelia Bones."

"No, they don't know anything about this."

"Did you find a book somewhere? If you did, I want to read it," Hermione demanded.

"I can't share this... book with you three. At least not yet. You're just going to have to trust me," Harry said. "You do trust me?"

Of course they did, and after only ten minutes they had a detailed training schedule for the year drawn-up.

On the way back to Ravenclaw Tower the group ran into Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini. Both boys were furious about their parents' recent marriage, and both blamed Harry for it. By a strange coincidence they were right, even if there was no proof of his involvement as a match-maker. Malfoy didn't even bother with any of his customary insults. He just let the curses fly, and Zabini was only a second behind him.

Last year Su was the only Ravenclaw first-year with any knowledge of dueling, but Hermione and Padma had worked hard to catch up with her. At the first sound of Draco's incantations two respectable Shield Charms formed between Harry and the incoming curses. Su doesn't like being on the defensive though, and she immediately began to return fire. Her curses are more accurate than those of the two Slytherins boys, neither of whom knew how to cast a Shield Charm. After a minute or so of punishment they fled back towards the Dungeons.

Harry knew they would be back for more, and the next time they struck he would be alone. It was so humiliating to need bodyguards, but what could he do about? There was no sense in taking it out on his broodmares—they were only trying to protect him.

"Thank you for that."

"No problem Potter," Su said. "I enjoy any excuse to curse wankers like Malfoy and Zabini. They aren't bad for second-years."

"When are you going to teach us those curses?" Hermione whined.

"I will teach you those curses when you have perfected your Shield Charms. You were damn sloppy back there. One good hit would have shattered both of your shields."

"Thanks for being so supportive," Padma grumbled. "You know, we are only second-years."

"Excuse me, are you a Gryffindor? Is your name Parvati?"

There was nothing Padma hated more than being compared to sister. Despite the fact that they were identical twins, she insisted that Parvati was too stupid and lazy to be a real Patil. After hearing Su's insults Padma launched into her favorite story—the one where her parents find Parvati in a roadside ditch and decide to adopt her out of pity. Malfoy's ambush was soon forgotten as they laughed at her colorful use of Hindi expletives.

"What has a mouth but cannot eat?" the eagle knocker asked when they finally reached the Tower.

"That is **so** easy," Hermione moaned. "A river."

"Insufferable know-it-all," her three friends moaned.

A year ago an insult like that would have made Hermione cry, but now she only laughed as they walked into the common room. What they found inside wasn't a pretty sight. The queen bitch of Ravenclaw Cho Chang was bullying the new nutcase Luna Lovegood. Luna's best friend and fellow Ravenclaw Ginny Weasley was already on the floor, and she looked as if she had been hit with several nasty curses.

Su didn't need much of an excuse to attack Cho. While the Li family were mostly half-blood merchants, the Changs had been pureblood diplomats for several generations. They saw themselves as socially and politically superior to the richer Li family. But perhaps the thing that most annoyed Harry's friend was that at thirteen Cho already had a nice pair of breasts. Su was convinced that she was going to end up as flat-chested as her mother, and she wasn't happy about it.

The duel between the two Chinese witches commenced immediately, and it ranged all over the common room furniture. The Ravenclaws gathered to watch the two evenly matched opponents. Cho was more athletic and quicker on her feet, but Su was the stronger witch. She also fought dirty—in fact some of her curses were of questionable legality. After a few minutes of mass destruction Professor Flitwick finally showed up to put an end to it.

"What is going on here?" the tiny Professor demanded.

"Chang was attacking Weasley and Lovegood," Su explained calmly. "I stopped her."

"Liar!" Cho screamed. She was flustered, and Professor Flitwick could easily tell who was in the wrong.

"Miss Chang, I am very disappointed in you. Harassing first-years, and fighting a duel with a second-year in the common room... that kind of behavior isn't worthy of someone your age. I'm assigning you two weeks of detention with Professor Sprout. She was repeatedly told me how much you dislike Herbology, so perhaps shoveling dung fertilizer by hand should teach you some proper manners."

"As for you Miss Li... I must say that you show some promise as a duelist," Flitwick said with a smile. "Well done."

After the Professor left Cho came over and poked Su in the chest. "You are going to pay for this insult."

Su quickly grabbed that finger, and bent it until Cho was on her knees in pain. "Let me guess: you are going to drag some boy into the nearest broom closest, give him a **Chang Special**, and then send the poor sod after me? Does that about sum it up?"

* * *

"You know Mr Potter, you might want to give some serious thought to dropping out of Hogwarts," Healer Oberg said as he dealt with the last of Harry's many wounds. "This attack was brutal, and you could have easily been killed. If that had happened, several fine young wizards might have ended up in Azkaban."

After Poppy Pomfrey was given the Dementor's Kiss, Hogwarts needed someone to oversee the Infirmary, and Healer Oberg had volunteered. He said that he wanted to keep an eye on Headmaster Dumbledore, and for the first week of the fall term he had been sympathetic to plight of the Squib-Who-Lived. But then Harry's strange magic began affecting him, and soon Oberg hated him just as much as any other wizard.

"I don't do anything to provoke them," Harry explained. It had been early December when Draco and Blaise had finally caught him alone, and Theodore Nott had joined in just for the fun of it. The two boys were still very angry about becoming step-brothers, and they took all that angry out on him.

"Mr Potter, if you were a real wizard you would understand," Healer Oberg said coldly before walking away.

If you were a real wizard. _How true_, Harry thought as he got up and began dressing. He wanted to be out of the Infirmary before Su and the others showed up, so he put on his Invisibility Cloak and left. Healer Oberg had been more right than he could possible know.

As a first-year student at Hogwarts Harry had been able to fake his way through Charms, Transfiguration, and DADA. But as a second-year that was no longer possible. Every time he stepped into one of those classrooms he was in for a fresh round of humiliation and abuse. All his classmates could see his lack of ability with a wand, and as more time passed since the death of Professor Quirrell they grew less and less afraid of him. By November he was once again being called a squib. Now after Malfoy's successful attack the other wizards would start cursing him in the hallways again.

Harry slowly made his way up to the Come and Go Room, as Saffron and the other house-elves called it. The majority of the items stored there were worthless junk, and Cissy had Saffron return most of it. However they also found several items which were very valuable—maybe even priceless. Harry felt bad about stealing from Hogwarts, but he had no intention of keeping the ill-gotten galleons.

There was something special in the Come and Go Room that he wanted to borrow tonight. Yes, there it was: a blood-stained axe. It was heavy, but Harry managed to drag the weapon down to the girl's bathroom on the second floor. Tom Riddle's diary had told him about the Chamber of Secrets and Moaning Myrtles' death. Speaking Parseltongue properly took a lot of practice, but the sink finally started to move. Opening the Chamber of Secrets down below was much harder for Harry, and summoning the basilisk from the statue of Salazar Slytherin harder still.

"_Speaker, why have you called on me?_" the giant serpent hissed. Harry couldn't understand what it was saying, but the magical diary did and it provided him with a written translation.

"_Do not move,_" Harry ordered the basilisk in his crude Parseltongue.

As Harry positioned himself just behind the basilisk's huge head he realized that this plan was insane. He could barely lift the axe, so how was he supposed to kill this basilisk with it? He couldn't, and that was the real point of all this. The axe wouldn't work, and then the basilisk would turn on Harry and kill him. It was a suicide attempt—with a twist. He wasn't really sure about the existence of Hell, but he didn't want risk being sent there, which is what happens to Christians who commit suicide. Dying in battle seemed a much safer option.

But why kill himself at all? Harry's list of reasons was a long one. The death of his Aunt Petunia, the prophecy about Voldemort, and the fact that Dumbledore had turned his back on him were at the top of that list. There was also the endless taunts from the other wizards here at Hogwarts. Even his Animagus form was depressing. What kind of boy wants to be a bloody unicorn when he grows up?

However the worse part of his life was his relationship with Su, Hermione, and Padma. He was weak and pathetic, so why did they care about him so much? Why did they love him? Was he subconsciously using his Charisma on them without knowing it? It was all too much for the Squib-Who-Lived to take, so he raised the axe in the air and then brought it swinging down at the basilisk's neck.

Luckily—or maybe unluckily—the axe Harry had found in the Come and Go Room was made by the Goblins. Its razor-sharp edge cut right through the basilisk's thick hide, and severed its spine. Harry waited for the basilisk to turn and crush him with its huge body, but his single stoke had killed the serpent instantly. That only made him angry, so he lifted the axe and brought it down again. And then again, and then again. It must have taken Harry a hundred swings, but he finally managed to decapitate the damn thing. By then he was completely drenched in hot blood.

* * *

"Where is he?" Hermione asked for the fifth time since dinner started.

"How in the name of Merlin am I supposed to know?" Su snapped. "That stupid Healer just let him walk out of the Infirmary under the influence of a dozen potions. If anything happens to Harry I'm going to kill Malfoy, Zabini, and Nott."

"He had his Invisibility Cloak with him," Padma whispered. "That means he could be anywhere in the castle."

"Anywhere in the castle and bleeding to death," Hermione cried.

A witch at the back of the Great Hall started screaming, and everyone turned to see what was going on. That is then they saw Harry. He was completely covered in blood, and dragging a huge axe behind him on the floor. Hermione stood-up to go to him, but Su grabbed her by the arm and won't let go. She was right to be cautious—their boyfriend didn't look particularly stable at the moment.

"Mr Potter, what is the meaning of this," Dumbledore thundered as Harry silently made his way up to the High Table. The axe was making a grinding noise as it scrapped along the stone floor, and the blood dripping from his clothes was leaving a sickening trail behind him.

"I have just avenged the death of Moaning Myrtle by slaying the great basilisk which was hidden in Salazar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets beneath Hogwarts!" Harry finally shouted. He was so loud that everyone in the Great Hall could hear his words. Then he raised the bloody axe in with the last of his strength, and drove it into the High Table right in front of Headmaster's golden throne. "So Dumbledore, how do you like them apples?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Mr Potter, you will accompany me to my office at once," Dumbledore said as the entire Great Hall looked on in shock.

Cissy and Harry had discussed the Headmaster at length over the summer. According to her the emperor—or in this case the wizard—had no clothes. Dumbledore was a school teacher well into middle age, and then he won a single duel. That was the sum totally of his accomplishments. After his defeat of the Dark Lord Grindelwald he became a politician and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and he had a lengthy record of failure in both jobs. The pureblood extremists had outmaneuvered him for decades in the Wizengamot, and the educational standards at Hogwarts were considered a joke by the international community.

So instead of mindlessly obeying the Headmaster, Harry stood his ground. To be on the safe side though he sent his Charisma flowing into Minerva, Pomona, and Septima. It never hurt to have allies.

"No, I want to speak to the Aurors first. This is an official matter for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"Why you arrogant..."

Was a far as Professor Snape got before Septima reached over and grabbed her lover by his testicles. "Severus, I really think we should stay out of this. Don't you agree?" she asked. Snape quickly nodded his head, since the excruciating pain left him unable to speak.

Dumbledore was so distracted by his pet's discomfort that Minerva was able to take charge of the situation. "Professor Sprout, your office is closest to the Great Hall. Would you please call Amelia Bones on the Floo, and tell her we have an emergency here at Hogwarts. I believe six or seven Aurors will be an adequate number to bring with her, in case of any trouble."

"That won't be necessary," the Headmaster said.

"Albus, don't be daft," an exasperated Minerva replied. "Of course it will be necessary. The Boy-Who-Lived is covered in blood, and he says that he just killed a basilisk of all things."

"Mr Potter is mistaken, I am sure of it. Even a wizard of my tremendous skill would have difficulty killing a thousand year-old basilisk. I will wager that it was simply a large snake."

"I will take that wager. I think the boy is telling the truth," Flitwick said. "Twenty galleons says that it's a true basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets."

Dumbledore ignored his Charms Professor, and instead focused his eyes on the boy in front of him. Harry felt it at once. He had been practicing Occlumency with the girls for the past few months, so he was very familiar with the mental sensation of a Legilimency attack. What he didn't understand was his own strength in this particular field of magic. The Headmaster's probe couldn't dent Harry's mental shields, and his counterattack was brutally effective.

"Mr Potter!" Dumbledore screamed as he clutched his head in agony.

"What is going on?" Minerva asked as the two remained locked in a mental battle no one else could see or hear.

After a few minutes the reinforcements arrived by Portkey. Amelia, Cissy, and six female Aurors suddenly appeared in the Great Hall. It seemed that Dumbledore still hadn't corrected that flaw in the castle's defensive wards.

"He tried using Legilimency on me, so I'm defended myself," Harry told Amelia.

"Is that true?" Cissy asked. "Did you attack Harry Potter?"

Dumbledore was still holding in head in pain. "The stupid boy claims that he killed a basilisk. I was simply trying to discover what happened."

"Couldn't you have just asked him?" Cissy said as she checked Harry's medical condition with her wand.

"Why would a mighty wizard like Dumbledore ask a lowly squib like me a question when he can just rip the information out of my brain?" Harry said in a bitter tone. "I suppose you all want to see the damn thing for yourselves?"

"We are coming too," Su said as she came up to the High Table with Hermione and Padma in tow.

"Yes, that is an excellent idea," Amelia said, speaking for the first time. She claimed that a stony silence was one of an Auror's best tools during an investigation. "Mr Potter looks like he could use the support of his friends. You three will accompany the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Miss Black, and me to the Chamber of Secrets."

Harry wanted to object, but then he realized that Dumbledore would be the only wizard going on their little expedition. "Fine, we have to go up the girl's bathroom on the second floor. That's where Myrtle died, and that's where the secret passageway to the Chamber of Secrets is located."

During his time as a student Tom Riddle had rediscovered the Chamber of Secrets, _and_ created a network of tunnels so that Salazar Slytherin's basilisk could move about Hogwarts freely. The tunnel into the girl's bathroom gave the serpent direct access to the heart of the school, and allowed it to retreat back to its hidden lair if threatened. He had also built a secondary tunnel with a spiral staircase leading down to the Chamber. Riddle might have been evil, he was also brilliant and industrious.

The whole situation was so bizarre that no one attempted to make any idle conversation during the long and spooky trip down to the Chamber of Secrets. "It's in there," Harry said when they finally reached the massive, snake-covered door.

It was interesting for him to watch everyone's reaction. Dumbledore just stood there silently like someone had clubbed him on the head. Minerva vomited, which surprised Harry—he thought she was made of sterner stuff. Hermione latched on to Padma and started crying. Amelia was examining the room with her wand in a meticulous manner, while Cissy had a thoughtful look on her face. Su just came over and held his hand with a vice-like grip.

"Almost sixteen meters long, and yet you somehow managed to decapitate it," Amelia remarked. "I doubt if any of my Aurors could have done a better job."

"How is this possible?" Dumbledore asked. "The boy is a squib."

"Headmaster, you sound remarkably like the Dark Lord," Cissy said. "As Harry Potter's legal guardian I'm claiming that corpse for him."

"Miss Black, I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible."

"What did you just say?" Amelia asked in an icy tone. As far as she was concerned what her Cissy wanted, her Cissy got. "Do have any legal justification for stealing the basilisk corpse from the wizard who actually slayed the thing?"

That question brought Dumbledore up short. "No, I was simply going to claim it for Hogwarts."

"If you feel the school needs more galleons than stop wasting so much on your ridiculous wardrobe," Amelia snapped. "And if that Death Eater of yours accidentally **loses** any part of the basilisk I will throw him in Azkaban for the rest of his worthless life. Am I making myself clear?"

"Perfectly clear," Dumbledore muttered.

"Good," Amelia said. "Now Cissy would you please return to the school, and get a message to the _Daily Prophet_. I'm certain this will be a front-page story in tomorrow's edition. Also tell Susan I will see her before I leave, and give my regards to Draco."

* * *

After Harry was given a thorough medical examination by a female Healer from St Mungo's, Cissy had him answer questions from the editor-in-chief of the _Daily Prophet_. He also had to pose for a photo next to the basilisk's decapitated head. Once that ordeal was over Su and the others dragged him back to Ravenclaw Tower. While Padma went to get him a clean outfit and Hermione stood guard, Su led Harry into the girl's shower and stripped off his bloody clothes. Then she proceeded to strip herself, which caused him to turn around in embarrassment. His body had change a lot since his sponge baths last spring.

"So it finally happened," Su remarked. "Padma thought she caught you having a wet dream a week ago."

"Please just leave me alone. I can't deal with... this right now."

"Turn around," Su said in a soft voice. "Turn around."

All it took was a single light squeeze, and Harry leaned his trembling body against the young witch. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Rather than cause anymore awkwardness, Su said nothing and began cleaning him with a bar of soap. After ten minutes she turned off the hot water, and gently dried him with a towel Hermione provided through the door. After they were dressed she led him back to their room, and put up a privacy ward as they crawled into Padma's bed together. She had the best silk sheets straight from India.

"Why did you do it?" Hermione asked as they wrapped him in a group hug. They were all very intelligent, and it didn't take much to figure out why he had faced the basilisk without any help. He was tying to lose. He was tying to die.

"I wasn't really thinking clearly. I just got the axe, and went down to the Chamber of Secrets."

"But why?" Padma wanted to know.

"There is a prophecy that says only I can kill Voldemort then he returns, and trust me he will return. Dumbledore thinks it's all a bunch of utter rubbish, but that doesn't matter because Voldemort thinks the prophecy is real. He is going to kill me no matter what I do, just like he killed my mother and father."

"Granger, don't even think about crying," Su said. "Harry, why are you so sure that Voldemort is still alive?"

"He was the one who possessed Professor Quirrell, which is why he hated me so much last year. I destroyed Quirrell's body, but Voldemort's spirit escaped."

"You-Know-Who can survive without a physical body using magic?" Padma asked. "I've never heard of anything like that before."

"Voldemort is the Dark Lord, so I guess it's a kind of magic that only a Dark Lord can do."

"And Headmaster Dumbledore doesn't believe in this prophecy because...?" Su asked.

"Because I'm a squib."

"Potter, that old poof is an idiot. I have never seen a wizard who can use their magic in the ways that you can."

Harry suddenly tensed up. "What do you mean?"

"We have lived in close contact with you for over a year," Hermione said. "Don't you think we have noticed how you magically affect both witches and wizards?"

"I don't understand—if you know about my Charisma then why are you still friends with me?"

"I think we are a bit past being just friends," Su pointed out, which caused the boy to blush.

"You selfish slag!" Padma cried.

"All I did was touch it once, and that was enough set the poor boy off," an embarrassed Su admitted. "Look, we have discussed this amongst ourselves, and we know that you aren't affecting us like you affect other witches. We love you because of who you are, not because of what your magic... what your Charisma, as you call it, does to us."

Harry wasn't sure about any of that, but the words felt so good to hear that he decided to let it go for now. "But what about Voldemort and the stupid prophecy?"

"Even Headmaster Dumbledore couldn't defeat Voldemort in a duel, so maybe it will take a wizard who doesn't use a wand like the rest of us to defeat him," Su reasoned. "Harry, you are a very _odd_ wizard, and it is not just the power you have over witches. You are only a second-year, but you have already mastered Occlumency and Legilimency. That is something most witches and wizards never accomplish in their entire lives."

"And it only took you a few short months to perfect your Animagus transformation into a magical creature. The three of us can barely transform the end of our limbs," Padma added. "Who knows what else your magic is capable of if you continue to work at it?"

"Or you could just be a coward, and take a jump off the Astronomy Tower," Su said.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep trying. It was pretty awful down there in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry admitted.

"Good, now that we have that settled I want to see how **it **works," Hermione said as she began to pull at his clothes.

"Stop that!"

Rather than helping _him_, Su and Padma began helping _Hermione_. Soon he was completely naked, and that's when the experiments started. The three (fully dressed) Ravenclaws even took notes, not that Harry minded. He has no idea science could be so much fun.

* * *

After Cissy and Harry had moved in with Amelia, they found that her old flat was too small for the three of them. So that fall Cissy bought an old decrepit building in Soho. It close to Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic, and no one in the progressive London neighborhood batted an eye at two women who were obviously in love with each other. Using her magic Cissy quickly renovated the entire building, while Amelia created a solid defensive perimeter with a number of lethal wards.

"So what was the final haul?" Harry asked his guardian after Amelia had gone to the Ministry of Magic for the day. Even during the winter holidays the Head of the MLE had to spend at least a few hours at the office overseeing her Aurors.

"The auction of the basilisk went well," Cissy told him. "We were able to contact several wealthy clients of Mr Patil and Mr Li in Asia, and they managed to drive up the prices during the auction. If we had only been dealing with British wizards we would have been lucky to pull in half as many galleons as we did."

"What about the other stuff from the Come and Go Room?"

"That place is a treasure trove of epic proportions. Some of the jewelry was over nine hundred years old, and you will never know how much it pained me to sell those exquisite pieces. The books were less lucrative in terms of galleons, but I have decided to keep most of the more valuable ones for our personal library. That is if you approve."

"Hermione would kill me if I sold the books before she got a chance to read them all," Harry said as he looked around at the small library on the fourth floor. There was a sizable bedroom and bathroom up here for him as well. Cissy and Amelia had private rooms on the third floor, while the second floor held a parlor, the kitchen and the dining room. "Padma and Su would probably just torture me for a while."

"When you add up the proceeds from the basilisk, the Come and Go Room, and the Lestrange Vault we have put together a very respectable war chest," Cissy told him.

"But will it be enough?"

That was the only question that really matter to them. Harry simply wanted to stay alive, while Cissy wanted to keep her son Draco and the rest of what was left of the Black family from being destroyed by Voldemort's insanity. To that end they had devised a plan to eliminate the Dark Lord's major supporters before he returned.

To fight beside his own Death Eaters, Voldemort had assembled a diverse coalition of dark creatures. This so-called Dark Army included vampires, werewolves, giants, and the Dementors of Azkaban. Across the magical world groups had formed over the years to fight each of these dark creatures, but to hire these specialized mercenaries required galleons. A lot of galleons. The wizards and witches who risked their lives fighting dark creatures expected to be well paid for their services. This was probably the reason why an idealist like Dumbledore would never consider working with them.

"No, we still don't have enough," Cissy admitted. "I think we have to go with your special fund-raising scheme this summer if we want to hire the best available mercenaries."

"Have you talked to your sister and niece yet?" Harry asked. "This plan won't work without the girl's Metamorphmagus abilities, and we need to start practicing soon. We are only going to do this once, so we have to make it count."

"Are you kidding me, Nymphadora loved the idea. That pink-haired niece of mine is a crazy bird," Cissy said with a fond smile. "On the other hand my sister Andromeda wants to kill me for even suggesting the idea. But at least we are talking again."

* * *

Hogwarts was a completely different school for Harry after he returned from the holidays. The male students were once again terrified of him, and none of them had the nerve to curse a second-year who had cut off the head of a giant basilisk. The female students were also seeing him in a different light, but Harry rarely noticed this. Su, Padma, and Hermione were keeping him busy both day and night. (Especially at night, which made him a very happy wizard.) They were also cursing the other witches who tried to get too close to him.

This was a problem when Tonks started coming to Hogwarts for their practice sessions. His three broodmares hated the Metamorphmagus right from the beginning. Su and Hermione were convinced that the "Huffleslut meta-whore" was trying to steal their wizard, while Padma thought her pink hair and punk-rock fashion sense were repulsive. It got so bad that Tonks started cursing the three witches on sight. Being humiliated by the young Auror didn't sit well with Su, and she blamed their latest DADA professor for failing to teach them anything useful.

Harry agreed that Gilderoy Lockhart was a joke, so he decided to use his new Legilimency skills on the wanker during one of his many detentions. He quickly discovered that the Professor was having affairs with four of his seventh-year students. They were all over the age of seventeen, but it was still a major breach of professional ethics. Su insisted that they get photos of everything.

That was where Rita Skeeter came in. One owl was all it took to bring her running up to Hogwarts, and she was very interested in the photos they had already taken.

"Harry, my dear boy, these are simply wonderful. But I can't use them."

"What's wrong with them?" Su asked. "It took us weeks of boring stakeouts around the castle to get them."

Boring wasn't the word Harry would have used. He rather enjoyed watching the nightly escapades, and so did Hermione and Padma. Lockhart only dallied with the most attractive witches at Hogwarts. But Su only had eyes for her Unicorn Boy, which was kind of flattering for his fragile ego.

"The photos are too explicit, too _obvious_. A talented reporter lets the reader draw his or her own conclusions when it comes to sex scandals, since those conclusions always worse than the truth. You have to imply, you have to _insinuate_," Rita purred.

Harry realized the older witch was trying to be seductive, and the thought terrified him. Nevertheless they agreed to take her advice. The next set of photos showed Professor Lockhart flirting with his female students, but nothing more. Soon Rita's toned-down article hit the front page of the _Daily Prophet. _Poor Lockhart barely made it out of the country ahead of the Aurors... and some very angry parents.

Towards the end of the year the second-years had to choose their third-year electives. Harry had a long discussion with Minerva, and she allowed him to drop DADA, Charms, and Transfiguration since he was never going to pass those classes. In return he had to sign up for all five of the upcoming electives. Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures both sounded interesting, while Muggle Studies and Divination both sounded easy. On the other hand Harry was worried about Arithmancy until Hermione promised him that she wouldn't allow him to fail—no matter how bad he was at math.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"You look lovely today Mrs Tonks," Harry said in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood.

"No, I do not look lovely wearing this stupid hat, I look ridiculous. Everyone looks ridiculous. I can't believe I let Cissy talk me into this," Andromeda Tonks muttered. "And stop trying to use your schoolboy charm on me. If anything happens to Nymphadora today, I'm going to kill you. Slowly. My sister Bellatrix taught me some interesting tricks before she was sent away to Azkaban."

Tonks' mother was right—everyone did look ridiculous. All the men had on black morning coats, while the women were wearing an endless variety of hats, each one more outrageous than the last. Ladies' Day at the Royal Ascot Racecourse gave the wealthy a socially acceptable excuse to play dress-up, which is the reason why it was one of the premier events on the British social calendar. Like millions of other women, his late Aunt Petunia would spend hours studying the fashion coverage in _Hello!_ magazine.

The Ascot Gold Cup was also one of the most prestigious horse races in Europe, and the betting was sure to be heavy today. That was why they were here in the first place. During the past year Harry had discovered two important facts about his new Animagus form. The first was that unicorns were fast. The swiftest thoroughbred horses topped out at seventy kilometers per hour, but Harry the Unicorn Boy could hit ninety kilometers per hour without straining himself.

The second fact was that he could alter the appearance of his Animagus form. According to Minerva that should have been impossible, since the animal form of an Animagus never wavers in appearance. But as in so many other ways, Harry's magic was different. He could change his size and color of his unicorn form—he could even make his bloody horn disappear if he focused hard enough. Tonks took to calling him the world's first Metamorphanimagus, and this unusual skill had given him an idea how to make some quick money at the racetrack.

Over the centuries many wizards had tried to cheat the muggles using their magic, and a cold war of sorts had developed between the two sides. All the major muggle banks had security contracts with the Goblins, and wizards who turned to bank robbery faced long prison terms when they were caught. (And since wizards were so ignorant of modern technology, they were almost always caught.) The muggle casinos guarded by the Goblins were even worse. The first time a wizard was caught cheating his wand was snapped and his hand was broken in several places. If you were caught a second time you ended up as fresh dragon food.

Fortunately for Harry and Tonks, racetracks lacked such magical security. There were less than a hundred horse Animagi around the world, and none of them were faster than a regular horse. In a four kilometer race against prime thoroughbreds they were sure to lose. The same wasn't true for a unicorn.

"Mrs Tonks, we're not doing this as a prank. Voldemort is coming back soon, and we have to be ready for him," Harry explained. "That's why we are here today. Your daughter understands that, even if you don't."

The witch had no reply for that harsh statement.

"Are you ready for the big show?" Tonks asked when she and Cissy returned from their scouting mission.

"Is it time for the switch?" Harry asked. The Auror and her devious Aunt had been checking to make sure the muggle security around the horses hadn't been changed in the past few hours.

Harry's plan was pretty straightforward. Cissy had identified a suitable longshot several weeks ago. Her pick was the horse "Silver Blaze", which was listed at 30-1 odds. She then divided their large bet along several bookmakers, since they didn't want to attract any attention from the wrong kind of people. Cissy even paid the nine-percent tax in advance, so they had no further business with Inland Revenue once the race was over. Given Harry's unique ability to alter his Animagus form the Ministry of Magic wouldn't be a problem either. Now all he had to do was coming in first without arousing any suspicion.

Speaking of arousing. "Don't stand so close to me," Harry pleaded.

"This Invisibility Cloak isn't that roomy," Tonks replied as they made their way towards the stables. "Besides, wouldn't you prefer a real witch instead of those three Ravenclaw swots who fawn over you all the time? You know they can't ride you half as well as I can."

"Do you want me to have a massive horse erection during the race? No, don't answer that question."

The switch itself was easy. Tonks quietly stunned both the jockey and the horses, and then cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on their private stable. Harry wanted to study Silver Blaze for a few minutes to make sure he could match its appearance. Newspaper photos were fine and dandy, but they were no substitute for the real thing.

"So how do I look?"

Harry turned around to see Tonks wearing nothing but her jockey helmet and a pair of leather riding boots. Sweet Merlin, she had an incredible body. He could write a foot-long essay on her belly button alone.

"We don't have time for this," Harry snapped as he turned around and covered his eyes. The older witch had been flirting with him like mad ever since she discovered he had the potential to become a fellow Metamorphmagus. "I still don't see why you just didn't transfigure your clothes."

"I told you, I don't know if my Transfigurations are stable enough. This race is four kilometers long, and we can't afford to have my outfit change back in front of a crowd this size. The Ministry of Magic would hear about something like that for sure," Tonks told him. "OK, I'm ready."

Harry turned around again, and this time he saw a perfect replica of the stunned jockey. "Are you sure you can put the saddle and the rest of the gear on me correctly?"

"Stop worrying. We've been practicing this for months. Now let me see my Blackie."

When Harry had first transformed into a unicorn he had a white coat with a black mane and tail. (And yes, he still had his mother's green eyes, even in his bloody Animagus form.) After one look in a mirror with his new equine eyes he had changed his coat from white to all black, which had earned him the nickname Blackie from Tonks.

The Animagus transformation was effortless for him now, and in just a few seconds a fifty-kilogram boy was replaced by a five-hundred kilogram unicorn. Transforming into the shape of Silver Blaze was a slower and more difficult process. Simulating horseshoes in particular took a lot of effort, but soon he was ready for both his saddle and his obnoxious jockey.

The best part about being a Unicorn for Harry was the freedom to piss and crap wherever he felt like it. This allowed him to get back at the exhibitionist who was riding him. It seems as if Tonks didn't like being soaked in horse urine, and she quickly used her wand to clean her jockey uniform.

The Gold Cup began three hours later, and it was far less complicated than they had original feared. It was simple for Harry to stay with the pack until Tonks gave him the signal to pull ahead with her riding crop. Being a unicorn was still embarrassing, but it had its moments. Galloping over the soft green turf with the wind in your muzzle was fun. Plus he did like being ridden hard by Tonks. He liked it a lot.

Just as Harry had assumed when he originally came up with this plan, placing first was a sure-thing. The huge crowd couldn't stop cheering his dramatic come-from-behind performance. After the race was over he playfully threw Tonks to the ground. Hopefully that blow to the head would explain why the real jockey would have no memories of today's race.

* * *

For every Pound that they had wagered on the race they won thirty Pounds in return. This left them with a huge amount of muggle money that they couldn't exchange for galleons without the Ministry of Magic noticing, and asking them questions they couldn't legally answer. Fortunately they had a use for all those newly won Pounds, and Cissy took a Portkey to Moscow the next day. The Russian Federation was the home of the last giant colony on earth, and Miss Black was planning on buying all eighty of the monsters exit visas to the United States of America.

The Russian Premier of Magic Nikolaj Vorobyov was a very distinguished-looking wizard in his early nineties, and he was more than happy to meet with his old family friend Cissy Black. "I remember old Cygnus complaining about his three horrible little daughters like it was yesterday, and now look at you. Sometimes I think the muggles have the right idea dying in their fifties."

"Nonsense," Cissy replied in flawless Russian. The Blacks and Malfoys had done a great deal of muggle-hunting in Russia over the years. "You plan on living to see your two-hundredth birthday, and so do I. Now what to you think of my proposal?"

"I don't know my dear—there is a great deal of prestige for Russia in being the home of the last giant colony. My people wouldn't be happy with me if I somehow misplaced them," the Premier said. This was clearly the opening of negotiations, since he hadn't given her an unequivocally "no" in response.

"Please, the giants are nothing but an endless source of problems for you and your Aurors," Cissy pointed out. "And who to say that you lost them? I think you should blame it all on the Americans, and demanded a great deal of monetary compensation. They will never publicly admit to playing any role this forced relocation."

Over the past few months Amelia had been in talks with her American counterpart over what to do about the giants. Voldemort had used them extensively during the seventies, and many wizards around the world saw them as the single _biggest_ threat to the International Statute of Secrecy. Amelia offered to secretly transport the giants to North America, and in return the United States Department of Magic created a reserve for them in an isolated valley in the Rocky Mountains.

Nikolaj was one of the shrewdest wizards in the world, and this whole scheme didn't smell right to him for some reason. "Why are you so insistent on doing this now?"

Cissy was aware of how intelligent the Premier was, so she decided to tell him the truth. "Some of us in the United Kingdom want the giants dealt with before the Dark Lord returns."

"Voldemort is dead. That is what Dumbledore told the ICW."

"No, that is what Dumbledore let the ICW believe. I never attended the Dark Lord's funeral, did you?" Cissy asked. "Trust me, he is coming back, and if we aren't ready this time he will destroy our world."

"You know after the death of the muggle Joseph Stalin I never thought I would meet a man that cold and ruthless again. But then Voldemort appeared, and I learned how far someone can fall into the darkness," Nikolaj mused. "Hypothetically, how would your plan work?"

"We will spike the giant's water supply with several barrels full of the Draught of Living Death—which my associates will provide to your Aurors free of charge. We have also prepared a number of Portkeys. Each one will take a single giant to the North Pole. From there another Portkey will take them directly to the Rocky Mountains. The valley the Americans have prepared is heavily fortified, and it would take an army to breach the wards they have in place. The Dark Lord will never be able to reach the giants again."

"You know, if old Cygnus Black was still alive today he would be every proud of his cunning daughter. And as a bonus this plan will also infuriate your ex-husband."

"Lucius has more important things to worry about—like when that gold-digging whore he married is going to kill him," Cissy said. It was nice to be thought of as something other than a trophy wife, especially when the compliment came from such a respected wizard. "We would also be willing to compensate you personally for causing any political problems we cause here in Russia."

She then handed the Premier a leather suitcase containing four million in British Pounds. Having this much muggle currency on hand would allow Nikolaj to bypass Gringotts and their financial monopoly for several years. There were plenty of ways for a pureblood wizard to make a healthy profit if he could deal directly with the muggles.

"Narcissa, we have ourselves a deal."

* * *

"Are you sure that is the mansion is where the vampires live?" Harry asked the muggle as he flooded her with his Charisma. The were on the roof of one of the most exclusive mansions in London, looking across the street at an even more exclusive mansion.

"Yes," the beautiful yet sickly women replied in a listless voice.

Despite the warm July weather the muggle—her name was Heather Mackenzie—was wearing a high turtleneck sweater, which was good for hiding the many scars on her slim neck. Lady Marites referred to her and the others like her as **blood cows**. They tended to be gullible women (and a few men) who found vampires romantic, and sought out the disgusting dark creatures. They were usually milked by the vampires for several months until they died from illnesses brought on by the repeated blood loss.

This muggle woman was the sixth blood cow they had questioned, but she was the first to know the secret location of the London nest. Vampires didn't get to live for centuries by being stupid about their security. Normally gathering this kind of intelligence would have taken months, but with Harry's unique influence over women they found the nest in only three weeks.

"She is telling the truth," Lady Marites said with confidence. The coppery skin of short Filipino witch had many wrinkles and her hair was gray, but Harry still found her attractive. Probably because her aggressive nature reminded him so much of Su. "This mansion has several defensive wards that I recognize from other nests."

"Do all vampires use the same wards?" Amelia asked skeptically as she studied the large mansion and its extensive gardens through a pair of high-powered Omnioculars.

"Don't you have some paperwork to go file?"

It was clear to Harry that Lady Marites hated all Aurors, but the witch had good reason to. The British Ministry of Magic—like most magical governments around the world—had signed a peace treaty with the vampires at the end of the nineteenth century. As long as they fed exclusively on the muggles (and the occasional muggleborn), the Ministry of Magic would take no direct action against them.

Years ago in the Philippines the local Aurors had looked the other way when Lady Marites' young muggle niece had been taken by a vampire nest in Manila and slowly milked to death. After the funeral the small witch had turned outlaw and started a war of revenge. She and her loyal band of followers had destroyed nests in Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Luring her here to London had taken a lot of galleons, but she had the kind of specialized personnel and equipment that was needed for an attack like this one.

"So what is your plan?" Harry asked. Lady Marites and Amelia were both very powerful witches, and he didn't want to caught in the middle if they started to duel.

"Just after sunrise we will place wards around the mansion blocking any escape, and then my Curse Breakers will move in to bring down their wards. The vampires always have muggle security guards of their own, so they will come out and try to kill my Curse Breakers. That is when my muggle soldiers will counterattack, but the firefight won't last long. By noon their wards will come down, and then I will lead my people into the mansion to clear out this nest."

"You make it sound so easy," Amelia sneered.

"Auror, I have sixty men and women under my command today. By this time tomorrow over thirty of them will probably be dead, and there is an excellent chance that I will be among them," Lady Marites replied. "We are willing to accept those risks because of the loved ones we have lost to the vampires in the past. Would your fellow Aurors do the same?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Then shut up, and stay the hell out of my way."

The next day the battle unfolded just Lady Marites said it would. Harry was shocked at the brief exchange of gunfire between the muggles on both sides. The vampire's security guards looked like professionals, but the vampire hunters were all ex-soldiers who managed to completely wipe them out at the cost of just six casualties. The police arrived about ten minutes later to investigate the disturbance, but they were sent on their way after being subjected to Memory Charms.

Just after midday the wards around the mansion collapsed, and Lady Marites and her people then entered the mansion. Their thick armor was covered in icons from a dozen different religions, and were carrying some disturbing weapons. Harry couldn't imagine what it would feel like to have a steel meat hook driven through your body while you were still alive.

There were soon flashes of light from the windows, and the mansion even shook two or three times. Over the next few hours dozens vampires were dragged out into the open with those steel meat hooks, and exposed to sunlight in the private garden behind the mansion. They didn't die quickly. Instead it was like they were slowly being roasted alive: first they turned pink and then red and finally black just before they stopped thrashing about. It was around sunset when Lady Marites finally emerged covered in soot and greasy blood. She collapsed in exhaustion right in front of them.

"You certainly got your money's worth—we killed close to sixty vampires today. I doubt there is more than a handful left alive in the United Kingdom, and the survivors will soon flee to the Continent rather than face another daytime attack."

"What were your losses?" Harry asked as he handed her a bottle of Tapuy rice wine.

"Only seventeen dead. Today was a good day."

* * *

While vampires were a blight on the world fit only for extermination, werewolves were seen by many wizards and witches as victims of a terrible disease. Because of that Amelia argued they couldn't simply slaughter them like they had done with the vampires. Instead she wanted to hire several professional hunters to find their cruel leader Fenrir Greyback and assassinate him. Once the werewolves had a new, more moderate leader they might be willing to see reason.

Cissy thought this was a waste of time, but she went along with her lover's suggestion. It was early August when they learned about the fate of the werewolf hunters they had hired from the front page of the _Daily Prophet_. All five were caught by Fenrir Greyback, skinned alive, and left hanging in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

That night Amelia told them about the uproar this atrocity had caused in the Wizengamot. "I expected Minister Fudge to panic, but Dumbledore really surprised me today. He ignored Greyback's actions, and instead focused on the need to find the **vigilantes** who were causing all the trouble. Dumbledore claims that this unknown group is trying to provoke a war with the dark creatures, and that they must be stopped before it was too late."

"Didn't Dumbledore have his own vigilante group during the last war?" Harry asked.

Cissy smirked. "Yes, he called them the Order of the Phoenix. You must understand that Dumbledore has always been a raging hypocrite. He believes that there are two sets of rules in the world: one set for him, and another set for everyone else. In this way he is much like his enemy the Dark Lord."

"That's not exactly fair," Amelia argued. "And it is rather beside the point now. Fudge wants these attacks stop, so we will have to suspend our plans until the situation calms down a bit."

"But what about the werewolves and the Dementors and the other dark creatures?" Harry asked. "They will side with Voldemort the minute he returns from wherever he's hiding."

Before the two witches could answer his question an alarm went off signaling that the wards around their building had been breached. "That is the emergency Portkey I gave Draco," Cissy said just before her useless son appeared in the dining room. He looked awful.

"Mother! Thank Merlin you are still alive."

"Draco, what is wrong?"

"Father... father is dead."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Harry knew that he should feel bad for Malfoy since he just lost his father, but he wasn't making it easy. The arrogant tosspot did nothing but complain and cast curses on his new roommate, the Squib-Who-Lived. Sure he was grieving, but did he have to so rude about it?

Even worse was the fact that today was Harry's thirteenth birthday, but in the current chaos everyone had forgotten about it. Well, almost everyone had forgotten about it. Su, Hermione, and Padma had sent him letters and presents (translation: books) from around the world. On the negative side Tonks also remembered his birthday, and her idea of a present was to conduct their nightly Metamorphmagus and Occlumency lessons in the nude.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," the evil witch said as she got undressed. "This is a lesson on changing the shape of your entire body, so we _have_ to be naked."

"Sure we do," Harry muttered as he got yet another erection.

The damn thing kept going up and down, and then back up again. To be fair Tonks was teaching him a lot about being a Metamorphmagus, and as with his Animagus training Harry was progressing at a rapid pace. He wasn't at the Auror's skill level, but he was getting close and this was after only a few weeks of training. In return for these lessons Harry was helping Tonks master her Occlumency. She had learned the basics during her Auror training, but she was still no match for the unnatural strength of his Legilimency.

It was during his Legilimency probes that Harry learned the reason behind Tonks' outrageous behavior. It seems as if the three little witches had pissed her off with their snide comments, and flirting with their boyfriend was simply a form of revenge. To be fair the Metamorphmagus also knew that Harry enjoyed her teasing, and she believed the he deserved a little fun in his life. She was right—no teenage boy would ever passed up an opportunity to see a naked woman in the flesh. Being around Harry was also making Tonks horny all the time, but he didn't want to think about what was causing that reaction.

"Don't try to force your muscles into changing all at once. Let the extra mass flow in a steady progression," Tonks said as the perfect curve of her lovely bottom began to balloon outwards. "If you push the changes too quickly you get things like this."

Her new balloon-like bottom suddenly deflated, and her skin began to sag down in a most unattractive fashion. Seeing this quickly killed his latest erection. Harry had complained to Tonks earlier about this up-an-down cycle, but she claimed that a good Metamorphmagus should be able to control every part of his body. That was easy for her to say. She was a bloody girl.

"Now you give it a try, and really stretch yourself this time."

Who should he change into tonight? The Hogwarts Groundskeeper Hagrid was the largest person he had ever met, so he seemed like a sensible model. "How is this?" Harry asked after five minutes of steadily increasing his mass and height and body hair.

"You are so good at this," Tonks whined as she stomped her foot against the floor. "I hate you."

"Do you know what I hate?" Harry/Hagrid asked. "I hate it when I see you cast a Stunner or a Shield Charm or even a simple _Wingardium Leviosa_. I will never be able to cast any of those spells, so maybe you should stop bitching about the fact that my Metamorphmagus skills are better than yours."

That rant definitely killed this latest erection. Slowly his huge and hairy muscles began to disappear, and he returned to being a skinny thirteen year-old boy. That amount of body morphing took a lot out of him, and he dropped to the floor.

"I'm sorry," Tonks said as she sat down beside him. Still naked. "It's just that you are so good at this, and you are even better than my Auror instructors at both Occlumency and Legilimency. Plus you can change into a bloody unicorn. Sometimes I forget how much trouble you have with a wand."

Harry really didn't want her pity, so he tried to change the subject. "Are you going with us tomorrow to the reading of Lucius Malfoy's will at Gringotts?"

"Yeah, Amelia Bones wants me to come along as extra security. I will be undercover though, so you won't see me."

"I will just look for the biggest klutz in the crowd, and that will be you," Harry joked. "Look, I know I shouldn't ask this question, but why did Bianca Zabini kill Malfoy the Elder if Malfoy the Younger is just going to inherit everything tomorrow?"

"My cousin Draco is only thirteen like you, and that means he won't come of age for almost four years. Now that Lucius is gone, that bitch Zabini thinks she will be able to steal the entire Malfoy fortune away from him."

"Is she right?"

"It depends on what is in Uncle Lucius' will. How much power did he grant to his new wife, and how well-protected is Draco legally? I don't know, but the Goblins sure do," Tonks said. "How are your three witches doing without you?"

"Hermione's letter was so long that the poor owl could barely fly, but her tour of Africa does sound like it has been good for her. She misses her parents while she's at Hogwarts, so she loves spending all this time traveling with them. Padma spent this summer in India learning how to be a proper house-witch, and she says if she doesn't get back to Hogwarts soon she is going to kill her mother and her sister Parvati. Su has learned more about dueling from her brothers and step-brothers in China, and she's looking forward to cursing you."

"She is welcome to try," Tonks said dryly.

Harry let out a deep sigh. "I miss them so much. They have such soft hands."

"From the way that little Harry is standing at attention, I can imagine. If you don't take care of that soon you are going to explode."

"Shut up!"

"I'm feeling a bit randy myself. It is your birthday, and what is a little wanking among fellow Metamorphmagi?" Tonks said as she reached down between her legs and began to rub. "But no touching the other person though."

By now Harry knew for sure that his Charisma was causing Tonks' intense physical reaction, but he was too far gone to care. This was even better than watching Cissy and Amelia at night from underneath his Invisibility Cloak.

* * *

The next morning Harry's surrogate family walked the short distance from their home in Soho to Diagon Alley, and Draco complained the entire time. "Why can't we use the Floo, and why is the Squib coming with us?"

"Draco, this is going to be difficult enough as it is. Please just try to keep a civil tongue for once in your life," Cissy snapped. She looked terrible this morning, and Harry was concerned about her health even if her own son wasn't.

"Welcome to Gringotts," a particularly ugly Goblin said to them as they arrived at the bank. "Please come this way."

Their group was led to what Amelia claimed was the largest room in all of Gringotts. It was similar in appearance to a muggle theater, and the rows of seats were full of wizards, witches, and quite a few goblins. Bianca Zabini and her son Blaise were already sitting at a large conference table in the center of the room. She seemed awful cheerful for a grieving widow.

"I say we kill the bitch now," Draco snarled when he saw her.

_**Officially**_ Lucius had been killed by a rogue cockatrice... in his own garden... while he was drinking a cup of tea. At the exact same moment his wife Bianca was having lunch at the most expensive restaurant in Diagon Alley, surrounded by three dozen witness. _**Unofficially** _everyone wizard and witch in the United Kingdom knew she was responsible for the death of her new husband, even if there wasn't any hard evidence linking her to the crime.

Cissy quickly grabbed her son by the arm. "Listen to me very careful. Even if you could kill Bianca Zabini—and there is no chance of that happening—it would just earn you a trip straight to Azkaban. That hellish place ended up killing your Aunt Bellatrix, and you Draco Malfoy don't have a fraction of her strength or willpower. So today you will sit there with your mouth shut, and do absolutely nothing. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, mother."

"Amelia, why are there so many people here?" Harry asked as Cissy wrapped her son in a tight embrace.

"Muggle have their television programs. Purebloods have their dynastic intrigue."

The reading of the will itself was very confusing for a non-pureblood like Harry. He knew some of the legal terms used by the muggles out in the real world, but the magical legal system was very different. More than half of it was in Latin, a language he still couldn't read or speak. Where was Hermione when he needed her? Whatever the Goblin was saying it didn't look good, because that evil smirk never once left Bianca Zabini's face.

"I have a point of order," Cissy said when the Goblin mentioned Draco's name for the first time. "According to the Wizengamot's interpretation of salic law my son is still technically a Black, and therefore his guardianship is determined by _fortes soli superant_."

"Cissy, no!" Amelia shouted as the room than erupted with shouts of surprise and disbelief.

"Wotcher," a grandmother sitting in the row behind them whispered in Harry's ear.

"Tonks? Do you understand any of this?"

"Kind of. According to the ancient traditions of the Black family a strong wizard or witch can seize the guardianship of a Black child from a parent they believe is too weak to defend that child. I don't know what kind of game Aunt Cissy is playing at, but she's in deep shite."

"She just challenged Bianca Zabini to a duel over who gets Draco?" Harry asked as he saw Amelia begin to cry as she argued with Cissy. He also noticed that the goblins were starting to take bets.

"I think so, but there is no way she can beat Zabini," Tonks said. "That witch is sadistic during her duels, and she will inflict some serious punishment on Aunt Cissy before she ends the challenge."

Harry couldn't believe they were going to have a trial by combat in this day and age, but everyone was acting as if it was perfectly normal. A space was cleared in the middle of the room, and wards were set-up to protect the audience. He wanted to go over and talk to Cissy, but she was still holding Draco tightly in her arms and it seemed wrong to interrupt them. Finally the two witches were left alone on the makeshift dueling platform.

"What is going on?" Harry asked Amelia, who was still crying.

"I will explain everything later on. Now be quiet."

Duels were weird. After a set of elaborate bows, Bianca and Cissy began exchanging spells. To Harry it looked less like a fight, and more like a formal dance. Their movements were so precise and artificial. He'd been cursed a lot by the wizards up at Hogwarts, and those encounters looked nothing like this.

Tonks was right though: Cissy was way out of her league. His guardian knew all the dance steps and performed them correctly, but she lacked any creativity or flair. Bianca Zabini on the other hand had plenty of flair. Her movements were blindingly fast, but still graceful.

They were also cruel. The dark-skinned witch had no problem sidestepping Cissy's spells and curses, so she didn't have to use a Shield Charm. That left her free to go on the offensive, but instead of finishing off her opponent she toyed with her like a cat with a rat. Cissy's beautiful face was soon marred by several nasty cuts and welts. She tried to fight back, but her spells weren't nearly quick enough. Bianca didn't want to just beat Cissy, she wanted to humiliate her. Tonks was right again: the witch was a sadist.

The crowd could see what was happening, and they began to grow restless. "Finish it!" several witches yelled. That is when it happened. Bianca caught Cissy with a powerful curse to the shoulder that dropped her to the floor.

"Do you conceded now?"

Harry had grown very fond of Cissy in the short time they had lived together, so he was watching her closely, hoping to see that she was alright. Instead of replying to Bianca's question or trying to get up, he saw Cissy deliberately place the tip of her wand against her chest. Her body then began to convulse violently. After a few seconds she went still, and a Goblin healer rushed on to the dueling platform to check her injuries.

"Narcissa Black's heart was destroyed by a Reductor Curse," the Goblin said. "This challenge is official over."

* * *

When the angry crowd of purebloods heard this news they rushed out of their seats, and seized Bianca with their bare hands. Her wand was snapped on the spot, and she dragged to the Ministry of Magic by her hair to stand trial for murder. This was meant to be a duel, not an execution. According to Tonks everyone was furious that Bianca had killed Lucius and Narcissa, two very respected purebloods. And now that Draco's parents were dead, everyone knew she was going to kill the boy too. The purebloods collectively decided that this kind of behavior was no longer acceptable. It was time to be rid of this gold-digging whore once and for all.

The trial before the Wizengamot was a farce. There were no questions to determine Bianca's guilt or innocence, just a steady stream of insults. The verdict was unanimous, and there was even talk of feeding her to a cockatrice just as she had done to Lucius. Amelia put an end to all of that by placing her wand against the witch's chest and destroyed her heart with a Reducto Curse.

A few hours later Andromeda Tonks joined her daughter and Harry in Amelia's office. Draco was lying on the couch behind a Privacy Ward where he had cried himself to sleep. Mrs Tonks was now their legal guardian, a situation which she obviously found overwhelming.

"I don't understand how any of this happened. Didn't you try to stop her?"

"Of course I tried to stop her!" Amelia shouted. "But Cissy was convinced that her foolish plot was the only way to keep Draco alive."

"What are you talking about?" Andromeda asked.

"Cissy know she couldn't beat Zabini in a fair duel, so she sacrificed herself knowing how negatively the Wizengamot would react to her murder. She was convinced that Zabini would never gain custody of Draco after killing both of his parents. I told her we could find another legal way to keep her son safe, but she wouldn't listen to me. You damn Slytherins and your damn plots."

Andromeda looked away, as if she couldn't bear to hear anymore of this. "Ted and I can't look after two teenage boys. We just don't have the resources or the time."

"Yes, you do," Amelia shot back. "Because we are all moving into Malfoy Manor together."

"Who exactly is we?" Harry asked quietly.

"You and young Draco. All three of the Tonks, and all four of the Bones," Amelia replied. "We will have plenty of room there, and Lucius spent a fortune on the wards so we'll be safe."

"I don't know if Ted will agree to that," Andromeda said.

"Cissy just gave her life for the sake of that spoiled brat. You will honor your sister's sacrifice by looking after him and Harry Potter for the next four years, or I will kill you myself and find a guardian who will," Amelia snarled.

* * *

"Did you attend the funeral?" Hermione asked as the four Ravenclaws moved towards the back of the Hogwarts Express looking for an empty compartment. "What was it like?"

"Granger, stop being so insensitive," Su snapped.

"What? I've never been to a magical funeral before, and I want to know if it's different from a muggle funeral."

"Amelia wouldn't let me go," Harry told them. "She thought the Death Eaters who were planning to attend Cissy's funeral might try to assassinate me."

"She sounds like a smart witch to me," Su said. "So Susan Bones is now living at Malfoy Manor with you, but she was a crush on Draco Malfoy of all people? That cow has no taste in wizards."

"For the last time, Susan is not a fat cow. Why are you so mean to other girls?"

"I found one," Padma said from up ahead.

Once the door was closed the witches reached into their robes and began pulling out what looked like small rune stones. They placed these stones around the perimeter of the compartment in a specific pattern. Suddenly a burst of magic filled the small space. It left Harry dazed and confused—and also with an intense erection. Even more intense than the ones Tonks gave him, if that was possible. While Hermione and Padma began setting up a small silver cauldron, Su started to take off her robes.

"Please understand that I'm very happy to see you again after being apart all summer, but what are you doing?" Harry asked. The strange magic was making it difficult for him to think clearly. "And what are those stones doing to me?"

"Potter, just get undressed," Su said.

"OK."

It was soon obvious that the girls had decided to move beyond the heavy petting stage they were at last spring. Before Harry knew that was happening he was about to take Su's virginity, but he pulled up short. "Are you sure you want to do this on the Hogwarts Express? I know this isn't how **I** imagined our first time together."

"Potter, just get on with it."

"OK."

In less than an hour Harry had repeated this process with both Hermione and Padma, and the experience was really freaking him out. But that was nothing compared to when he saw Hermione collect the blood from Padma's thighs. When he remembered that the other two girls had done the same thing. They had just collected the blood of three virgins, and now they were pouring that blood into the silver cauldron. That's when he started to tremble uncontrollably.

"What is going on?" Harry asked in a panicked voice.

Su pulled out a small vial, and emptied it into the cauldron. "The blood of a dragon."

Hermione did the same. "The blood of a troll."

"The blood of a giant," Padma added.

Harry finally came to his senses, and began sending his Charisma into the three young witches. "I don't know what you are doing, but please stop." His magic had no effect on them at all, and instead only made them more determined.

"This is for the best. I swear it will only protect you," Su said as Padma and Hermione used their wands to bind him to the floor of the compartment. Su then pinched his nose shut, and poured the unknown potion down his throat.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"What did you just do to me?" Harry asked after he swallowed the last of the potion. He thought about vomiting it up, but who knows how these three would react to that? It might even make things worse.

"That should be fairly obvious for a Ravenclaw," Hermione said. "What do dragons, trolls, and giants have in common?"

"You sound like that blood knocker at the entrance to the common room," Harry snapped. "I don't know... they are all magical creatures that are hard to kill."

"Yes, but why are they hard to kill?" Padma asked calmly.

It infuriated him that they were treating this whole situation like a school lesson, but they had the wands so they made the rules. Or at least they did until his Charisma started working again. "They all have spell-resistant skin? That is impossible—not even you three could come up with something like that."

"Wrong," Su said with a mischievous grin. "Brewing the base potion we added the blood to was a brilliant piece of work, if I do say so myself. It was our summer project, and we had to scour magical libraries on three separate continents to figure out how to do it."

"We began our research at Hogwarts last year, and we each found important pieces of information in India, China, and Africa," Hermione pointed out like a good swot. "I myself had to seek out the Nundu hunters in Tanzania to find out how they..."

"I get the idea," Harry growled. "Now that I know what that potion was, can you please tell me why you felt the need to pour it down my throat without asking for my permission first?"

"We couldn't take the risk that you would reject our help. You're just too important to us, and to the larger magical world," Padma explained.

When he heard those words Harry had the most painful experience of _déjà vu_ in his entire life. That was almost the same thing his Aunt Petunia had said before she committed suicide. But how could this be happening again? His powers were supposed to be under control thanks to the runes that were cut into his bones, so why were they suddenly acting insane?

Wait... if they had been planning this for months than the change in their behavior wasn't new. Harry then remembered the day Su gave him his first hand job in the shower after he killed the basilisk. Of course. He had gone through puberty, and the changes in his body were affecting his magic, which in turn was affecting the witches around him.

For instance Tonks would've never agreed to become his wanking buddy if she had been in her right state of mind. And Amelia Bones—who after all was the Head of Magical Law Enforcement—would have quickly put a stop to the illegal activities that he and Cissy had been up to over the past few months. How many other witches were being influenced by his Charisma now that it was out of control again, and what could he do about it?

"Listen Potter, we did what we had to do, and we're not going to apologize for it," Su said. "So let's skip this whole stupid argument, and get on with the important stuff."

Harry was almost afraid to ask. "What is the important stuff?"

"Field testing," Su said as she raised her wand and cursed him. Hermione and Padma already had their quills and parchment out, and they looked eager to begin documenting the magical properties of his new skin.

Over the next few hours as the Hogwarts Express made its way north, Harry was subjected to dozens of different curses and spells. The blood ritual the witches had come up with was by no means a cure-all, but it was effective in blocking minor forms of magic and minimizing the more powerful curses. For instance a Stunner no longer rendered Harry unconscious, but instead caused him a great deal of pain. He had to admit that this was a major improvement for a wizard who couldn't cast a Shield Charm if his life depended on it.

The field testing was so successful that for a time he forgot that he was furious with Su, Padma, and Hermione. In truth they were just as much victims of his magical condition as he was. But things couldn't go on like this, or the situation would just get worse. Who knows that kind of dangerous scheme the love-crazed trio might come up with next? It was during the Welcoming Feast that a solution finally came to him.

"I can't believe that Professor Vector married Professor Snape," Hermione said in a tone of absolute horror. "Why would such a brilliant witch do something like that?"

"She's pregnant," Su replied. "What, you don't believe me Granger? I will bet you a thousand galleons she gives birth before Valentine's Day."

"The new DADA Professor was a close friend of my parents," Harry told the others at he stared up at the High Table. Then he added in a whisper: "Lupin is a werewolf."

"What?" Padma yelled.

"Keep your voice down!" Su hissed. "Harry, not even Headmaster Dumbledore would be arrogant enough to hire a werewolf to teach at Hogwarts after Fenrir Greyback murdered five people at the Ministry of Magic this summer. You must be mistaken."

"No, I'm not. My father learned about Lupin's condition during his first year at Hogwarts. He told my mother, and she told my Aunt Petunia about it in one of her letters," Harry explained. "I bet he's here because Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban. Black was another one of my father's close friends before he became a Death Eater and sold them out to Voldemort."

Sirius Black was a bit of a sore point with Amelia. When she had sent Mad-Eye Moody to Azkaban to eliminate the Death Eaters the old Auror had missed one of Voldemort's top henchmen. Mad-Eye swore to Amelia that Black wasn't in his cell that night, and that no one was able to find him either. The next day he mysteriously reappeared, but by then security had been too tight to get rid of the traitor. As a result of this screw-up, Black had lived long enough to find a way to escape from the island prison a few weeks ago.

"We have to tell the Ministry of Magic," Hermione said. "We can't have a werewolf teaching at a school full of children."

"We aren't going to do a bloody thing about Professor Lupin," Harry said coldly. After that stunt they pulled on the Hogwarts Express the witches needed to be reminded who was the **real** leader of their group. "This kind of information will be very useful if we need some leverage on Dumbledore later in the year."

"Harry Potter, you can not go around blackmailing the Headmaster of Hogwarts," Hermione whispered.

"Just watch me. We will discuss this later on if you want, but now I have to go see Minerva," Harry said as the Welcoming Feast came to an end.

"Mr Potter, I was planning on speaking to you tonight," the Deputy Headmistress said when she saw him approaching the High Table. "If you would follow me back to my office. It would be best if we had this conversation in private."

"Alright, this is an unpleasant topic, so I will get straight to the point," Minerva said as she sat down at her desk a few minutes later. "Your current sleeping arrangements are no longer tolerable. For the last two years Professor Flitwick has been willing to look the other way when you slept in the girl's room, but last year the house-elves brought me some very disturbing evidence in the form of heavily stained bed sheets."

"That's not surprising. You have no idea how much those three Ravenclaws enjoy their experiments. They were conducting several on me each day—mostly varying the speed of their stokes and the pressure applied to my..."

"Mr Potter! **That** sort of behavior is unacceptable here at Hogwarts," Minerva bellowed as she blushed. "I have a good mind to expel you."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. "That sort of thing goes on all the time here at Hogwarts. Especially in the broom closets for some reason."

"Be that as it may, you will no longer have access to the girl's rooms in Ravenclaw Tower. I have personally set up several additional wards, and I advise you not to test them."

"That's fine, because I wasn't planning on sleeping there anyway. I'm going to spend my nights out in the Forbidden Forest with the other unicorns."

"Why would you want to do that?"

"As you know my magical condition can't be cured. To avoid causing any more... side-effects in the other students, I think I should spend my nights outside of the castle," Harry said as he hit Minerva with his Charisma.

"What about Sirius Black? The Dementors of Azkaban are searching for him all over the Highlands, and they might attack you as well."

"I will be safe as long as I'm in my Animagus form and stay close to the other unicorns in the Forbidden Forest," Harry replied. "What I need from you is a safe way out of the castle each night. And some written documentation stating that I have permission to leave Hogwarts if I get caught by one of the other Professors or by the Aurors."

"This is very dangerous idea," McGonagall warned him as she prepared the necessary paperwork.

"Maybe, but only a handful of people know about my Animagus form, so I should be safe. You haven't registered Blackie with the Ministry of Magic yet, have you?"

"No, but that will have to change soon. Your three friends will have mastered their Animagus transformations by the end of the school year, and when that happens I'm legally required to inform the Ministry. Four unicorn Animagi... there will be a major uproar when the news hits the _Daily Prophet_."

"Any publicity is good publicity. What was the Headmaster thinking when he hired a werewolf as the DADA professor?'' Harry asked. Not only was his Charisma affecting Minerva, but he was also using Legilimency on her as well. There was no way she could lie to him.

"He believes Sirius Black will make an attempt on your life, and no one knows the traitor better than his old friend Remus Lupin. That smug bastard Albus told me he is using a dark creature to catch a Death Eater. Professor Snape is providing Lupin with a special potion called Wolfsbane during each full moon, so Albus assures me that Lupin poses no threat to the students. Or his fellow professors."

"What do you think about his plan?"

"I think the Headmaster is starting to go senile."

* * *

The next morning Harry awoke just before dawn, and he felt wonderful. While a wizard retained his intelligence as an Animagus, in many ways it was a very different kind of intelligence. Time seemed to speed-up and you became much more aware of your environment. An Animagus is also less likely—or maybe less able—to engage in complex thinking. When Harry transformed in Blackie the unicorn it was as if his problems faded into the background, and his vivid nightmares about Voldemort and the prophecy could no longer trouble him.

"Harry Potter, I would speak with you."

Damn, it was the bloody centaurs again. One of the reasons Harry felt safe staying in the Forbidden Forest was because his Charisma never seemed to affect Magorian or the other male centaurs. (Or maybe the centaurs already hated **all** wizards, so they didn't notice that they hated him too. Magic was so blood confusing.) Reluctantly Harry transformed back into his human form so he could speak to the leader of centaur herd.

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"You spent several hours in the Forbidden Forest last night. By tradition we are excepted to share that information with the Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"I had no idea you were another one of Dumbledore's toadies," Harry muttered.

"Do not attempt to anger me Harry Potter, you will not succeed. I will keep your secret in return for your aid. For too long my people have suffered from the presence of the Acromantulas in the Forest, and several young centaurs have even been slain by the foul monsters," Magorian told him. "Despite this, Albus Dumbledore does nothing."

"I'm not very good with a wand, so I don't see how I could help you with your Acromantula problem."

"Your magic is of no importance to me. It is the aid of the unicorns we seek," Magorian explained. "If the centaurs and unicorns work together, we can defeat this deadly foe and reclaim the Forest."

"You think the other unicorns will follow my lead? But I can't even communicate with them."

"Harry Potter, according to the stars you are true Lord of the Unicorns."

That was definitely news to Harry, but why couldn't he have been the Lord of something cool? No, he had to be the bloody Lord of the bloody Unicorns. "I need some time to think about this. Can we talk again tomorrow morning?"

"As you wish."

As he made his way back to Hogwarts under his Invisibility Cloak, Harry pondered this new bit of information. It was true that the unicorns had accepted him right away, and that they had all gathered around him last night as they slept. But was he actually their Lord? Right now he had other things to worry about.

"Where have you been?'' Hermione wailed when he reached the Great Hall for breakfast.

"We spent half the night looking for you," Su added.

"Follow me," Harry said after he grabbed several pieces of fruit and some toast.

Now was as good a time as any to introduce them to the Come and Go Room. Hopefully they would be so distracted by its unique properties that they would forget to be angry with him. Soon they reached the seventh floor and the entrance magically appeared. Inside were four comfortable armchairs facing each another in a circle.

"Sit down."

"What is this place?" Padma asked.

"It's called the Come and Go Room by the house-elves." Briefly Harry explained everything he knew about this Room and its incredible magic, but Su wasn't so easily lead astray.

"This is all very fascinating, but what I want to know is where the hell you were last night."

"Minerva placed wards around your room to prevent me from getting in. She knows what we were doing in bed last year," Harry explained.

"Please, it took us about an hour to remove those so-called wards," Padma sniffed. "Professor McGonagall should stick to Transfiguration."

"That doesn't matter anymore, because from now on I will be spending my nights out in the Forbidden Forest as Blackie."

Rather than start screaming two of the three witches showed why they had been sorted into Ravenclaw in the first place. "So you want to isolate yourself from human contact," Su said at once.

"You must believe that your magic is having a negative effect on us," Padma added.

"You three lost your virginity on the Hogwarts Express of all places, and then you conducted an illegal blood ritual on me against my will. I don't **think** my magic is affecting you. I _know_ my magic is affecting you. So until I have myself back under control, I need to limit the time I spend with the three of you."

This was more than Hermione could bear, and in a blink of an eye she went from sitting in her armchair to being wrapped around his body. "Oh Harry, I can't live without you!"

"Granger, calm down. We are still going to see him every day during classes," Su pointed out.

"You know, there are several Asian forms of magical mediation that I could teach you," Padma said. "And my grandparents would be happy to spend me more books on the subject. They hate the fact that I'm being educated outside of India, and they are always eager for me to learn more about our traditional culture."

At this point Hermione began kissing his neck and tying to rip off his shirt. "Please Harry, I must have you one last time."

"Who said anything about last times?" an exasperated Su asked. "I think we should come up here every day. This Come and Go Room is a perfect meeting place for us."

"That sounds good to me," Harry said. "How long do we have until our first class this morning?"

"Arithmancy starts in about an hour," Padma informed them after checking the time with her wand.

"So what are we going to do with the other fifty-seven minutes?" Su asked as she started to take off her robes.

Padma and Hermione laughed at the joke about his lack of stamina. Harry didn't find it quite so funny.

* * *

They found out that Su was right about Professor Vector when she vomited during their first Arithmancy class. Apparently even witches suffer from morning sickness. The study of the magical properties of numbers was just as difficult as Harry had feared, but he had three excellent tutors. Tutors who knew how to motivate him when necessary.

Despite dropping Transfiguration, Charms, and DADA Harry still had a tough course load this year. Studying Ancient Runes was hard enough, but having to be in the same room as the witch who had craved the runes on his bones made it worse. On the other side of the balance sheet Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies were all easy classes. Muggle Studies in particular was a joke, and Harry knew that even someone as clueless as him could have done a better job teaching the subject than their pureblood professor.

Harry had always done well in Herbology, and Potions was actually fun this year. The expectant father Professor Snape walked around gobsmacked for the first few weeks of term, and everyone was hoping that his current state of confusion would last for a while.

Another source of gossip during the fall was Draco Malfoy and his new girlfriend Susan Bones. "Why does everyone seem so interested in a pair of third-years?" Harry asked during dinner one night.

"When Draco's parents passed away it made him the most powerful student in Slytherin, maybe the most powerful student in all of Hogwarts—other than you," Su explained. "Most of the other snakes will have to wait years or even decades to inherit control of their families. But when Malfoy comes of age in four years he will automatically become one of the wealthiest and most influential wizards in the United Kingdom."

"His relationship with Bones is just icing on the cake," Padma continued. "She is the niece of the Head of the MLE, and most see Amelia Bones as the logical successor to Minister Fudge. If they got married after graduation it would combine his wealth with her political influence. They would be unstoppable together, so everyone wants to get on their good side now."

As Harry made his way out into the Forbidden Forest later that evening he kept thinking about what Su and Padma had told them. Originally all he wanted to do was escape from Malfoy Manor, but using his Charisma in such a reckless fashion had gotten three people killed—including Cissy. (The fact that Lucius Malfoy and Bianca Zabini had also died didn't bother him nearly as much.) He had also turned Draco Malfoy into a political powerhouse. Talk about unintended and unwanted consequences.

"Harry Potter, I have important news for you," said the centaur Bane, who was waiting for him at the edge of the Forest. Since the Lord of the Unicorns had agreed to make war on the Acromantulas, Bane and the other centaurs had almost become friendly with him. "We have captured the wizard Sirius Black."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Who are you?" Tonks asked as she jammed her wand into the neck of the stranger who had emerged from the fireplace. It should have been impossible for anyone to gain access to her flat, since the young Auror warded her Floo just like her paranoid mentor Mad-Eye Moody taught her to.

"It's me Blackie," Harry replied, using the nickname she had given his Animagus form. Slowly the ugly blonde face he was wearing melted away as he returned to his base form. He had learned how to bypass her wards during one of their many Occlumency lessons.

"What are you doing here?" Tonks asked with concern. "You'll be expelled from Hogwarts if you are found outside the castle at night."

"Do you think I would risk coming here if it wasn't important? The centaurs have captured Sirius Black, and they are holding him in the Forbidden Forest near Hogsmeade. I need your help to get him to the Ministry of Magic."

"Let me put my uniform on first so we can make this official." After a few minutes Tonks returned from her bedroom looking like the model of a modern Auror. Harry much preferred the tight Clash t-shirt and small red panties she had on before.

"You are sure to attract plenty of attention dressed as an Auror," Harry said. "I left from the Three Broomsticks where Madam Rosmerta was happy to lend me some Floo powder, so I will head back by way of the Hog's Head. You can Apparate to Hogsmeade and wait for me outside the pub. I would rather not be seen with you tonight, even if I am wearing a different face."

They met a few minutes later on the High Street of Hogsmeade. "Why didn't you just go straight to Amelia Bones with this? Why did you come to me?" Tonks asked.

"Amelia is already the Head of the MLE, but you're only a rookie Auror. Capturing the notorious criminal like Sirius Black will give your career a big boost." Harry then gave her a roguish smile. "Plus I know that you will keep the centaurs and me out of the report you give to your superiors at the Ministry of Magic. Like you said, if anyone found out that I was spending my nights in the Forbidden Forest, I would be expelled from Hogwarts for sure."

* * *

"Are you the shape-shifter Nymphadora Tonks?" Bane asked when they reached the edge of the village. He and four other centaurs had Black tied up, and luckily the fugitive was still unconscious. "Harry Potter gave us his word that the centaurs will not have to deal with the arrogant fools who lead your people."

"Sure, I will just say that I caught Black outside of Hogsmeade by myself," Tonks replied quickly. It was intimidating even for a witch as well-trained as her to face five angry centaur warriors.

"Very well. Be safe Harry Potter." With that Bane and his friends galloped off into the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.

"I spent seven years at Hogwarts, and I never once saw a centaur. How do you get so close to them after only two years?" Tonks asked.

"You are not going to believe this, but according to them I'm now the Lord of the Unicorns."

When Tonks heard his ridiculous title she started laughing. Loudly. "Please tell me that you are just taking the mickey out of me."

"Shut up, and get this traitor to the Ministry," Harry said as he kicked the unconscious Sirius Black in the face. "Be sure to stay with him until he reaches Amelia. I have a feeling that several of this Death Eater friends are going to want Black dead before he can be interrogated about how he escaped from Azkaban. Hopefully he will be sane enough to give us some useful information about Voldemort and the rest of the Death Eaters. "

"Thank you for this," Tonks said as she levitated the prisoner in the air. "I can't wait until you turn seventeen, so I can begin repaying you properly for all the help you've given me. I have lots and lots of ideas about the kind of games two Metamorphmagi can play together."

* * *

The next day Amelia and a dozen of her Aurors descended on Hogwarts—or more specifically on Gryffindor Tower. A short time later they came down the Grand Staircase escorting a short balding wizard who looked around forty years old. The Aurors were also escorting all five of the Weasleys. They didn't have enchanted manacles on their hands like the older wizard, but the Aurors weren't giving them any choice in the matter either.

Amelia gestured to Harry when she saw him, and cast a Privacy Ward when he approached. "Auror Tonks felt very guilty about what she did last night, and she confessed the truth to me this morning. Officially she will still be credited with the arrest of Sirius Black, but you and I are going to have a long discussion about your fondness for breaking the law."

"Who is that wizard?" Harry asked nervously. Having the Head of the MLE mad at him didn't sound too appealing. "He looks familiar for some reason. Is he a Death Eater like Sirius Black?"

"He is a dead man who is going to cause the Ministry of Magic no end of problems now that he has risen from the grave," Amelia replied cryptically. "Black will be brought before the Wizengamot in a few days, and when that happens I will send Auror Tonks to pick you up. Your presence at the trial will be very useful for me."

As Amelia's party was leaving the castle Dumbledore tried to intercept her, but she brushed him off. Seeing the Headmaster humiliated put a smile on Harry's face. A smile which lasted until he saw Luna Lovegood crying on the other side of the entrance hall. Her best friend and bodyguard Ginny Weasley had been taken away by the Aurors, so her tears weren't that surprising. Even so, Harry felt a powerful need to go over and comfort her.

"Luna, are you alright?"

"No, I am not alright," the tiny blonde answered. Then she hugged him, which was odd since they had barely spoken in the year they had lived together in Ravenclaw Tower. "Will you take me for a ride Harry Potter? I am sure that a ride in the Forbidden Forest would make me feel much better."

"What are you talking about?"

"You are a unicorn, and I have always wanted to ride a unicorn."

Tears or no tears, Harry quickly dragged the witch to the nearest broom closet. "Luna, what are you talking about?"

"Ginny and I followed you and the pink-haired Auror once last year, and we saw you change into a great big black unicorn."

"Have you told anyone about what you saw?" Harry asked gently. He didn't want her to start crying again.

"No, we would never tell anyone about your secret Harry Potter," Luna said in a completely innocent voice. "Can you take me for a ride through the Forest? Pretty please."

"Maybe in a few days, but only if you promise never to tell anyone about my Animagus form. It is very important that I keep it a secret."

"I promise Harry Potter."

They spent the next half hour just talking. At one point Luna mentioned that she could also see the Thestrals, and she ended-up telling him about the death of her mother. Harry felt a sudden and intense connection to the witch. He too had watched someone he loved dearly die right in front of his eyes.

When he opened the door of the broom closet Su, Hermione, and Padma were all waiting for them with their wands out. He barely had time to cover Luna with his body, and absorbing all their curses was painful even with his new magically resistant skin. The witches were really looking to dish out some punishment.

"Stop doing that!" Harry roared. "Ginny Weasley was taken away by the Aurors, and we were just talking."

"Sorry," Padma and Hermione muttered as they put away their wands.

"You have to admit, it did look kind of bad," Su said.

"Luna, I will talk to you later," Harry told the terrified witch. "The rest of you... follow me. Now."

A very sore Harry led his vindictive broodmares up the stairs to the Come and Go Room. Once inside they sat in silence for a few minutes before three witches began giving him sly smiles, and slowly unbuttoning their robes.

"Stop doing that too. Don't think you can use sex to manipulate me. I have other options in that department. Options that include an older and more experienced Metamorphmagus."

"Then why did you bring us all the way up here," an angry Su growled.

"Cursing an experienced Auror like Tonks because of your stupid jealousy is one thing, but Luna is only a second-year. You could have seriously hurt her if I hadn't blocked those curses. If any of you even thinks about attackng Tonks or Luna again, it will be over between us."

That statement alarmed Padma and Hermione, but Su was unrepentant. "I told you before that I would share with Patil and Granger, but with no one else. It was your own fault for taking Loony into a broom closet in the first place."

Harry had often wondered why someone as forceful as Su didn't try to drive the other two witches away, and thanks to his Legilimency he had finally learned her reasons. The Chinese witch thought that if she asked Harry to choose he would pick Hermione and Padma, since they both had developed nicer bodies while she remained as flat as a board. Hermione hated her teeth, her hair, and her little "bookworm belly" as she called it. Meanwhile Padma was self-conscious about the dark shade of her beautiful skin. Harry thought they were all delusional, but he wasn't going to complain as long as he could get away with this current arrangement.

"Her name is Luna Lovegood, **not** Loony. Don't test me on this Su. I love you all, but I won't be your plaything," Harry said. "And if you had bothered to ask, you would know the reason I was in that broom closet with Luna was because she knows about Blackie. So does the little ginger hellcat who is always with her."

"Maybe we can use a Memory Charm on them," Padma offered. She was always eager to experiment with new forms of magic, especially ones that dealt with the human body. "I'm pretty sure that I can cast one without causing any permanent brain damage."

"No, we are not going to use a Memory Charm on them," Harry said firmly. "Besides Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys were taken away by the Aurors this morning."

"We were in Charms at the time," Hermione said. "What exactly happened?"

"I'm not sure," Harry admitted. "It must have something to do with Sirius Black's arrest last night, but I can't see why that would have anything to do with the Weasleys. Amelia wants me to attend his trial at the Wizengamot, so hopefully I will learn more then."

* * *

The trial of Sirius Black remained Harry of one of those old documentaries about nuclear weapons they sometimes show on the BBC. There is this one small point that expands rapidly in every direction, and destroys everything in its path. Sirius Black was that point, and his capture managed to cause a massive amount of destruction all around him.

The first victim was Peter Pettigrew, and it was his testimony in front of the Wizengamot under Veritaserum which started the chain-reaction. The wizard whom everyone believed died a hero's death had an interesting story to tell. It started back during his school days at Hogwarts. According to him, Dumbledore had used his position as Headmaster of the school to recruit cannon fodder for his own personal army. This secret organization—which was called the Order of the Phoenix—answered only to Dumbledore, and was used extensively against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

The four Marauders—James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin—were all in awe of their Headmaster, so of course they joined the mysterious Order when given the chance. Harry's father had even donated a large sum of galleons to the cause during the summer before their seventh year. In return Dumbledore made him the Head Boy, despite the fact that he had never been a prefect and was a mediocre student at best.

"Is that true Dumbledore?" Minister Fudge wanted to know.

"James Potter had excellent leadership abilities, and that was the only reason I appointed him to the position of Head Boy."

"By excellent leadership abilities you mean that he blindly obeyed your commands?" Amelia asked.

"It was because of Headmaster Dumbledore that I was dragged into the damn war in the first place," Pettigrew cried. "I was captured by You-Know-Who, and he personally tortured me for days until I gave him the secret location of the Potters. Could any of you held out against his mastery of the Dark Arts?"

"Why did he go into hiding after the war if you were simply a victim of You-Know-Who?" Amelia asked.

"Sirius Black would have killed me before I could tell my side of the story to the Aurors."

"How can you be so sure about that?"

"Sirius was only sixteen he tried to trap Severus Snape in the Shrieking Shack with Remus Lupin during his monthly transformation into a werewolf. He wanted to kill Snape just because he didn't like the Slytherin, so that do you think he would have done to someone he thought was a traitor?"

"Are you telling the Wizengamot that the man who is currently teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts is a werewolf?" a shocked Minister Fudge asked.

That revelation was the end of Lupin's career as a professor.

Then Pettigrew described the decade he had spent with the Weasleys, and how he had slept in the same bed as young Percy and Ronald. That was the end of Arthur Weasley's career at the Ministry of Magic and Bill Weasley's career at Gringotts. Fudge was eager for any excuse to remove one of Dumbledore's supporters from the Ministry, and he quickly replaced Arthur with one of his own loyalist. The Goblins disliked scandal, and they wanted no part of a Curse Breaker who was too dim to realize that he was living in the same house as an Animagus for several years. There was even talk of removing the Weasley children from the care of their incompetent parents, but the members of the Wizengamot knew that no one would want to take the brats in.

"This still doesn't explain the death of the twelve muggles that night," Amelia pointed out. "Or the loss of your finger."

"It was all just a terrible accident. I was tying to get away from Sirius before he killed me," Pettigrew replied, and thanks to the Veritaserum they knew he was telling the truth.

The Wizengamot might have been willing to accept this pathetic story back in nineteen eight-one, but Pettigrew was far from a sympathetic witness. It was impossible to deny that he had become a Death Eater under duress, but the members of the Wizengamot still wanted to punish him for his part in the death of James and Lily Potter. As a result Pettigrew was convicted of falsely accepting an Order of Merlin, and he sentenced to six months in Azkaban. The accidental deaths of twelve lowly muggles wasn't a crime worth considering according to the purebloods of the Wizengamot.

Sirius Black was reluctantly set free since he played no role in the deaths of the Potters, but his reputation as a Dark Wizard was still firmly in place. He might not wear the Dark Mark, but he clearly had the soul of a Death Eater like his late brother Regulus and his cousin Bellatrix. Harry agreed that only a truly sick individual would try to feed a fellow student to a werewolf—even if that student was an arse like Snape.

* * *

After the trial was over Tonks escorted Harry to Amelia's office, where they were supposed to wait for her. "Mum is going to flip her lid when she finds out that Sirius is innocent. He was the only member of the Black family that she and my dad liked."

"Really? Andromeda doesn't seem anything at all like that nutcase," Harry pointed out. "Black is my godfather. Do you think he will want me to live with him?"

It turns out that is exactly what Sirius Black wanted when he showed up with Amelia an hour later. He didn't take it well when his godson politely declined his offer. Harry made it clear that he wanted to continue living at Malfoy Manor with Amelia and his new guardian Andromeda.

"I told you this would happen," Amelia explained patiently. "The boy is happy where he is now."

"Harry is young, and it isn't his decision to make anyway," Sirius said, dismissing both of their objections. "Besides he has spent too much time around witches already, and he needs a real wizard to teach him about real magic. Mark my words, Remus and I will discover the source of the problems he's having with his wand, and we'll beat it out of him before he starts his fourth year. No son of James and Lily Potter could possible be a squib."

That was an incredible poor choice of words on Black's part, and when Harry heard them he lost all control. His Charisma flowed into Amelia and Tonks in such massive quantities that the burning-hot runes on his bones started to literally cook the surrounding muscle. Both witches drew their wands and pointed them at Black.

"If you ever touch Harry, I will kill you," Tonks hissed. While Black might have able to overpower his young cousin, Amelia was another story. Even in his prime he wouldn't have lasted more than a minute in a duel against the older witch.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on here? What have you idiots been doing to my poor godson?" Black cried.

But before either witch could the answer the question, Harry dropped to the floor and began spasming in pain.

"Auror Tonks, go find a healer!" Amelia shouted

* * *

**Author's Note**: I've always thought the reason Dumbledore didn't demand a new trial for Sirius Black after they learned that Peter Pettigrew was alive was because of the political problems it would cause for both him and the Weasleys. It was easier for him to just sweep the whole thing under the rug.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"How long was I unconscious this time?" Harry asked as he struggled to open his eyes.

"Three days," Amelia replied from a chair across the bedroom where she was reading a thick folder of Ministry reports. "We brought you back to Malfoy Manor, since this was the safest place for you to recover. And before you ask, the healers have no idea what happened to you this time."

"My runes?"

"They are still in place, and according to the Healers they still seem to be working. How do you feel?"

"Pretty good actually," Harry answered. "What has been the fallout from Black's trial? Are you are still the Head of the MLE, or did they sack you?"

"I'm safe for the time being. Minister Fudge and I are the only two people to come out of this disaster with our reputations intact. Headmaster Dumbledore took a political hit in the Wizengamot thanks to his association with Arthur Weasley. Peter Pettigrew gave the Aurors a great deal of information about the Death Eaters, so the pureblood cabal is also on the defensive."

"The pureblood cabal?"

"Since Lucius Malfoy's unlamented death no single wizard or witch was stepped up to take his position of leadership," Amelia explained. "As a result they formed a group—or as I prefer to call them, a cabal—to promote their agenda."

"So nothing has changed?" Harry asked.

"No, Fudge is more powerful than ever. Rather than trying to destroy Dumbledore, the Minister is using this tragedy to play both sides against the middle. I honestly didn't think he was this intelligent. It doesn't matter though, because the gutless coward will still fold the minute Voldemort returns," Amelia added in disgust.

"What about Black?"

"Once Auror Tonks and I explained how you were almost beaten to death by a group of Gryffindor bullies during your first year at Hogwarts, he started apologizing. He still wants to see you."

"Screw that—I don't want to see him," Harry said. "I have enough wizards in my life who call me a squib whenever they feel like it. I don't need any more."

"That's too bad, because you are going to see him anyway," Amelia smirked. "Even after ten years in Azkaban he is still sinking rich, and our side need all the galleons we can get to fight this war. So be polite like a good godson."

"Fine," Harry muttered. "But in the end it won't help."

Five minutes later the witch returned not only with Black, but also with Remus Lupin and Tonks. The young Auror was eying the werewolf in the most peculiar way.

"Hello Harry," Black said as he glanced over at Amelia. Harry suspected that she had done more than just _talk_ to the newly liberated wizard. "I just want to say that I'm sorry about calling you a squib. You should know that I promised your parents that I would protect you with my life. I will never to anything to hurt you."

"So you aren't going to beat my problem out of me?" Harry asked as he sat up on the edge of his bed.

"No. That was a pretty stupid thing to say. I'm sorry for upsetting you like that, but you'll soon learn that I've got a pretty big mouth," Black said.

"Yes, Padfoot can be counted on to make several foolish remarks a day," Lupin added. "Sometimes several foolish remarks an hour."

"My Aunt Petunia told me you were an Animagus before she died. Could you show me your form?" Harry asked. He looked over at Tonks, who playfully winked at him. She hadn't told these two about Blackie the wonder unicorn.

"I'd be glad to. That is something useful Remus and I could start teaching you about during the holidays. Every wizard and witch I know wants to become an Animagus. Maybe you'll be a stag like James was—he had the most magnificent set of..."

"Your form?" Harry asked again, cutting off the babbling wizard.

"Watch this... and learn." Black then proceeded to transform into a fairly large dog.

Large for a dog that is—compared to a unicorn he was scrawny little shite. In an instant Harry transformed into Blackie, and with supernatural grace turned around in the confined space of the bedroom. He then slammed Black into the far wall with a powerful kick from his hind legs. Both of them quickly returned to their human forms, and Harry was happy to see the blood coming out of his godfather's mouth.

"I'm sick and tire of pureblood racists like you calling me a squib," Harry snarled. "Can a squib do this?"

He then lunched a brutal Legilimency attack on Black's unprotected mind, and screams filled the air. The memories of the Dementors were painful, but he didn't care. Lupin tried to stun him from behind, but learned to his amazement that Harry had a limited form of resistance against magical spells.

"Harry, that is enough!" Amelia thundered.

"Fine, just as long as this idiot knows I have no interest in living with him. We have more important things to do, like preparing for Voldemort's return. Tonks will you come with me? I really need some fresh air."

* * *

"What was all that about back there?" she asked when they reached the formal gardens that surrounded Malfoy Manor.

"I spent two years at Hogwarts dealing with wizards like him, and I'm sick and tired of it," Harry said as he sat down on a marble bench next to the Koi pond. "I needed to strike back at someone, and Black was a convenient target."

"My parents and I have been talking to Sirius and Remus for the past three days," Tonks told him. "They both really love you, and they would do anything for you."

"Remus is it?"

That caused the Metamorphmagus to blush, and given her abilities the reaction showed how intense her feelings towards the werewolf were. "He is really smart... and really good-looking. Especially with all those wicked scars."

"Admit it: you want him because he's a werewolf," Harry teased. "Your Aunt Cissy once told me you were a crazy bird."

"Moving on," Tonks said, and the threat of violence was clear in her voice. "Are you alright? You gave us a scary back at the Ministry."

"It's strange. I've been seriously injured several times, but it has never felt like this before," Harry said as he looked down at his outstretched hands and fingers. "It is like my magic is humming in waves throughout my entire body."

"Harry Potter, you are the strangest wizard I know. No one else in our little world comes close to being as strange you are."

"Thank Tonks, that is the kind of compliment that makes a person feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Let's go see how my godfather and your future boyfriend are taking the news of Voldemort's return."

It seems they weren't taking the news well at all. Black and Lupin both wanted to go running to Dumbledore until Harry told them that Voldemort had spent a year at Hogwarts possessing the DADA Professor right under the Headmaster's nose. Dumbledore knew all about Voldemort's return from the dead, and he wasn't doing a damn thing about it.

The conversation soon turned to Harry's other adventures at Hogwarts. Black could hardly believe that his godson had killed a professor with his bare hands, and a thousand year-old basilisk with an axe. In his excitement he seemed to forget about the mental thrashing he had just received. Harry wondered how long it would take for his Charisma to turn these two wizards against him. They claimed to love him, but would that matter? Probably not.

"What can we do to help with the war effort?" Lupin asked.

"Amelia and Tonks, could you give us a few minutes alone?"

"Sure, but don't talk about me when I'm gone," Tonks said as she got up to leave with her superior.

"She is a very charming witch," Remus said as he watched the Auror leave the drawing-room. It was hard not to, considering how much she was shaking her perfect arse in his direction.

"I want you two to go after Fenrir Greyback and kill him. Lupin, you are a werewolf and Black you are rich, so together you should be able to do the job. We must deprive Voldemort of the support of the werewolf packs before the war starts."

The two wizards shared a silent look. "Harry, you must understand something," Lupin finally said. "Greyback isn't just the most powerful werewolf in centuries, he is also the most cunning. He been contaminating children with Lycanthropy for decades, and at the same time avoiding captured by every Auror in Western Europe. There is nothing that would make me happier than killing that monster, but it's going to take more than Sirius and me to do it."

"You will find a way. Because if you don't, you will never have Nymphadora Tonks."

Lupin bristled. "Excuse me young man, but my personal life is none of concern."

"You want her, and don't bother to deny it," Harry replied calmly. "But if you don't deal with Greyback I will take her from you, and there is nothing you'll be able to do to stop me."

Black laughed at his godson's wild boast. "Tonks tells me you have a several little girlfriends up at Hogwarts, but my beautiful cousin is a grown witch. She is a bit out of your league."

In response Harry first copied his godfather's face, and then Lupin's own right down to the werewolf's many scars. "We are both Metamorphmagi, and that means we share a bond you can never hope to match."

"This is impossible. How can you be both an Animagus and a Metamorphmagus?" Lupin asked. "According to all the sources that I have read those two types of magic are completely incompatible."

"Just find Greyback and kill him before Voldemort returns. Or you can go back to being Dumbledore's lackeys. It's your choice."

* * *

Harry noticed with delight the film of sweat covering Su's body, which was sprawled-out on top of his own. This was the first time he had lasted long enough to cause any of the witches to perspire during sex, and he should have known he would reach this milestone with her. Objectively Padma was more beautiful and Hermione was more enthusiastic, but his emotional and physical connection to Su was without a doubt the strongest.

"Why do you put up with me?"

"I just made love to the most beautiful boy at Hogwarts, and he used his Legilimency to please me just the way I like. That's why I put up with you."

Harry considered her answer. Unlike Tonks, he had no problem using magic to improve his appearance. His fellow Metamorphmagus didn't want to be thought of as a brainless bimbo, so she kept her appearance relatively normal. Harry took the opposite approach. The Squib-Who-Lived had made himself taller, more muscular, and his new cheekbones were so sharp they could cut glass. (He even made some improvements to Harry Junior, not that he needed much help in that department.) Yes, he was now definitely the most beautiful boy at Hogwarts.

As for his Legilimency... well, it was very helpful when he was tying to figure out what a witch wanted in bed. In fact it was so useful that Harry couldn't believe that other wizards got along without it. Did they just grope around blindly for hours without a clue? That didn't sound like it would be enjoyable for either partner.

Harry closed his eyes and thought about a window for a moment. The Come and Go Room then provided him with one, and through its mirrored glass he saw Hermione and Padma engaging in a mock duel. Su had suggested—or rather demanded—that while one of the three witches was with Harry, the other two should practice their dueling in the safe environment which the Room provided for them.

Being competitive Ravenclaws, Hermione and Padma had quickly agreed. While neither was as skilled with a wand as Su, they were much better than any of the other third-years. They were also probably better than many of the forth-years and fifth-years.

"In your expert opinion, how are they doing?" Harry asked.

"Granger has lousy footwork, and she uses too many obscure spells," Su replied as she played with his hair. "Padma is technically a better duelist, but she is too passive. Her heart isn't it, and I don't think it ever will be. She is a healer, not a fighter."

"I think you should start teaching some of the other witches how to defend themselves," Harry said as he gently ran his hands over Su's bare back. Her skin was so smooth it made silk seem rough in comparison. "Things are peaceful now, but that is going to change soon enough. I asked Luna why she didn't cast a Shield Charm when you three attacked her, and she told me she didn't know the first thing about a Shield Charm. And she's a pureblood witch."

"So you were talking to Lovegood again?"

Harry grabbed Su's arse and squeezed tightly. "I told you I don't like it when you get jealous of Luna and Tonks."

She smiled at his words, which was odd. The more assertive he was with his broodmares the more they liked it, which was exactly the opposite of how boys are taught to treat girls. The three still argued with him all the time, but more and more they were accepting his authority as their leader.

"I know you don't like Professor Weasley, but he is doing an excellent job with the DADA class," Su pointed out.

After Lupin had been fired by the Hogwarts' Board of Governors for the unpardonable sin of being a werewolf, Dumbledore had hired the newly unemployed Bill Weasley as the next DADA Professor. Harry didn't know what he hated most about the oldest Weasley sibling: his long hair, his stupid earring, or how brilliant he was with a wand. Or maybe it was just how the female students looked at him. Harry enjoyed being Hogwarts' resident stud more that he was willing to admit, and he didn't like the competition from the new Professor.

"Professor Weasley has almost three hundred students to teach, and in DADA you waste a lot of time reading theory and studying dark creatures. Our club would focus only on practical magic you can use during a fight," Harry explained.

"And who would be in this club, besides Lovegood and her pet ginger?" Su asked.

"Susan and her friends from Hufflepuff. Parvati and some of the Gryffindors. Maybe even Millicent Bulstrode from Slytherin."

"Don't start toying with Bulstrode. That poor witch is completely besotted with you," Su complained. "I noticed you didn't mention any wizards. Is this is going to be an all-witches club?"

"Including any wizards would just cause problems." Harry admitted as he flipped her over, and pinned her to the firm mattress.

"So, Harry Potter's Magical Amazons," Su mused as she wrapped her legs around him. "I will run the idea by Padma and Hermione, and see what they think."

"I'm sure they'll love it."

* * *

Despite Professor McGonagall's earlier estimate that it would take Su, Hermione, and Padma until the end of the year to master their Animagus transformations the three brilliant Ravenclaws managed it by December. Now that all four of them were true Animagi, Minerva was forced to register their forms with the Ministry of Magic. When Minister Fudge heard about the news from one of his flunkies he decided to make a spectacle out of the situation. They were invited to London along with their parents for a public demonstration in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

Also invited was the press, hence one Rita Skeeter. "So the Boy-Who-Lived does it again. First you kill Professor Quirrell, then a basilisk, and now this year you reveal to the world that you're an Animagus. Is there anything you can't do?"

It didn't take Legilimency to figure out what Rita was suggesting, which was sort of disturbing since he was still a thirteen years-old and she was still in her forties. What he did need Legilimency to discover was that the _Daily Prophet's_ star reporter was also an Animagus herself. How interesting.

"Rita, I'm sure you're aware of the fines an illegal Animagus must pay if he or she is caught by the Aurors. Paying such a huge sum of galleons to the Ministry sure would _**bug**_ me."

"Harry my dear, you are full of surprises."

She was a bit old for his tastes, but for an ex-convict who had spent ten years in Azkaban she was just the ticket. "Rita, have you met my godfather, the notorious Sirius Black?"

"We ran into each other a few times back in the day. Do you happen to remember that party in Glasgow?"

"I remember how sexy you looked in that red leather robe you use to wear."

Harry and Lupin both rolled their eyes. As Black deployed his rusty charm, his godson started hitting Rita with his far-more potent Charisma. It seemed that she really was in the mood for a tumble, because his scheme worked. After a few more minutes of feeble banter the horny pair left to find the nearest empty office.

"That was a cruel thing you just did," Lupin remarked as they watched Black and Rita try to walk and grope each other at the same time.

"Not everyone can bag a Metamorphmagus," Harry replied. "Have you two made any progress with Greyback?"

"Thanks to some healthy bribes in Knockturn Alley we've learned the identities of several of his closest supporters among the werewolf packs. Now we have them under surveillance. Greyback has no permanent abode, so hopefully we can catch his trail as he moves from one safe house to another."

"Do these supporters provide him with food and shelter all the time?" Harry asked.

"It is more like Greyback takes whatever he feels like from the other werewolves, and in return he doesn't kill them," Lupin replied. "I will send Amelia Bones the details, because I think you have more important things to worry about right now."

Harry turned around and saw an angry Xiu Li headed in his direction. Lupin quickly disappeared, leaving him to face the Chinese witch alone. From the look on her face she knew exactly what he was doing with Su at Hogwarts.

"Mrs Li, it's a pleasure to see you again."

A Privacy Ward went up in a flash. "Do you have any idea of what Su's father would do if he found out that you have defiled his most powerful and promising daughter?"

"Please, if anyone was defiled here it was **_me_**."

"Do you think I'm joking?"

Harry sighed. "I know I'm supposed to be intimidated by thoughts of elaborate Chinese torture rituals, but to be honest I simply don't care. If Mr Li wants to kill me, he can get in line behind the remaining Death Eaters. They don't like me much either."

"So you aren't denying it," Xiu asked.

"Nope. Like the old vaudeville performers use to say: _we are on stage every day of the week, and twice on Sundays_."

Xiu gave him a long hard look. "It you had tried to lie to me, I would have killed you myself. Su's father was thrilled when she told him about being an Animagus, since the skill is believed to be a sign of a strong magical line in China. Su claims that she never could have found her unicorn form without your help."

"That's true," Harry allowed. "Very true, as it happens."

"Honor will not allow me to ignore that fact. You owed the Li family a debt after we passed your letter to Perenelle Flamel two years ago, and now that debt has officially been repaid," Xiu told him.

"What about my relationship with Su?"

"I know that if I tried to keep you apart, it would only drive you closer together."

"Given your daughter's personality, you're probably right about that."

"But I wasn't lying. If her father finds out, he will kill you."

Harry couldn't help it—he smiled. "For Su, I would face the wrath of a thousand angry fathers."

Xiu snorted. "May my ancestors save me from young love."

The _Dog and Unicorn Show _began a few minutes later. Hermione was so excited she was hopping up and down. In a way her feelings were understandable. This was the first time her parents would get to see their only child perform real magic. The Patil family didn't look nearly as happy as the Grangers. It seems that Parvati was upset when she learned about her sister's new ability, and demanded that her twin teach her how to become a unicorn.

"I told her to go and practice her Beauty Charms with Lavender Brown, since it takes real skill to become an Animagus," Padma told her friends. "Skill my sister does not possess."

Hermione went first, and her form was the closest to that of a classical unicorn. Her coat was milky white like her skin, while her mane and trail were both a wavy chestnut-brown. The other two witches both had black manes and trails. Padma's coat was a rich caramel color, while Su's was a light shade of gold.

When the Boy-Who-Lived transformed into Blackie the crowd broke out in cheers. It was bizarre to see four unicorns casually walking around a cocktail party in the middle of the Ministry of Magic, and the sight made a strong impression on the wizards and witches present that day. Harry could only hope that this public relations work would pay off in the future.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Harry's unique magic makes other wizards dislike him. He is still a teenager, so he gets defensive and acts like an idiot. This makes other wizards dislike him even more. It is a vicious cycle.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Harry and the centaurs had taken two major factors taken into consideration when they were deciding on the date for Battle of the Forbidden Forest. The first was that Acromantulas, like their smaller non-magical cousins, were cold-blooded animals. While they didn't exactly hibernate, they did become very lethargic during the long and cold Highland winter.

The second factor was that Hogwarts could be closed during the Winter Holidays. For the first time in decades the students were not given the option to stay at the castle, and a headcount by Professor McGonagall yesterday showed that all of them had boarded the Hogwarts Express. This had been done with Headmaster Dumbledore's knowledge, since neither Harry nor the centaurs trusted the old wizard.

Harry did trust Amelia Bones though. She had a private meeting with Minister Fudge where they discussed the upcoming battle. When he heard the details Cornelius was glad to give his support, since it wouldn't cost the Ministry of Magic too much and it would provide him with some good press. Thanks to his support, Amelia and her Aurors had spent the last hour setting up a defensive line between Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest. If the Acromantulas retreated towards the village, she would be ready for them.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Amelia asked one last time. "I don't feel comfortable sending a thirteen year-old in a combat situation."

"And I don't feel comfortable about going into a combat situation either, but the centaurs and I have agreed to fight side-by-side. They need my help to guide the unicorns," Harry explain. "After all, I am the Lord of the..."

"That **may** be true—" Amelia thought his new title was ridiculous, which kind of hurt his feelings. "—but I will state for the record that including Miss Li in this battle is a serious mistake."

"I don't want her here either, but she insists that I need a fellow Animagus to watch my back."

Su had learned about the battle when Harry contacted her mother about harvesting the valuable venom and silk from Acromantula corpses. Xiu told her daughter about his plans, and after that it was impossible to keep Su away. They both had agreed to say nothing to Padma or Hermione. In her heart Padma was already a Healer, and killing in any form other than self-defense was abhorrent to her. Hermione was just Hermione—she would probably insist on opening a dialog with the Acromantulas in hopes of reaching a diplomatic solution.

"I have too much invested in Potter to see him get killed by some overgrown insect," Su said. "Besides, I'm a Chinese citizen, and you have no jurisdiction over me unless I commit a crime here in the United Kingdom. Which I have not."

"I'm sure your father wouldn't mind if I locked you up in a Ministry holding cell until this was all over," Amelia said. "In fact, he would thank me."

"Let her be," Harry snapped. If Su was going take part in the battle, he wanted her by his side where he could keep an eye on her. "We have been driving the spiders deep into the Forbidden Forest towards their main colony for weeks now, but we still aren't sure how they are going to react when we finally close the trap."

"Don't worry, if they move towards Hogsmeade we'll be ready," Amelia told him. "The Aurors know that you are donating any galleons earned from the sale of the Acromantulas corpses to St Mungo's Hospital, so they are happy to help today. Several even volunteered to fight in the Forbidden Forest with you."

"Tell them thanks, but the centaurs and the unicorns have been working together for months. Any Aurors would just get caught in the crossfire."

As Magorian as told Harry back in September, the centaurs could not fight the Acromantulas alone. While they were very skilled with bows and arrows, the centaurs lacked the supernatural speed and agility of the unicorns. (In truth, their odd hybrid anatomy made them clumsy on anything but open ground.) At the same time the unicorns had no defense against the Acromantulas who lurked up in the trees and attacked without warning. To overcome these separate weaknesses they had formed mixed bands during the last few months. While the centaurs watched for threats from above and fire their arrows at a distance, the unicorns drove the spiders using their speed and numbers.

"Su, are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked his boss mare after Amelia left to personally assume command of the Aurors.

"Potter, if you ask me that question one more time I going to hurt you."

"Fine, just stay as close to me as you can. The unicorns will follow my lead for the most part, but I can't give them any detailed commands. We are basically a thundering herd, so if we get separated I won't be able to protect you."

With that they transformed into their Animagus forms, and galloped off deep into the Forbidden Forest. As Harry had told Amelia, they had been driving the Acromantulas back towards their colony for a few weeks now. Magorian and his warriors planned on bombarding the enemy with arrows, which they had stockpiled during the summer and fall. Harry's job was to lead the unicorns on an extended cavalry patrol around the edge of the colony, and prevented any of the Acromantulas from attacking the centaurs archers—or from escaping the trap.

While Harry was in his Animagus form he no longer felt the harsh cold of winter, but the Aragog and his many children certainly did. Half the giant spiders were killed when the centaurs loosed their first arrows. The volleys were so dense the blocked out the merger sunlight that made it through the trees. While dozens of the Acromantulas died in the opening minutes of the battle, the others charged the centaurs where their encircling line looked the weakest. Soon the Forbidden Forrest was filled with the sound of their clicking pincers.

The mass of Acromantulas almost reached the archers, and that's when Harry and his magical cavalry entered the battle at forty kilometers per hour. The unicorns leapt two or even three meters in the air, and used the momentum of their falling hooves to crush the Acromantulas' brains. Their exoskeletons were tough, but they were no match for such a brutal attack. The unicorn's razor-sharp horns were also very effective as slashing sabers, and Su personally blinded six of the giant spiders. In the end their attempt at a breakout turned into a slaughter.

As Harry watched the archers methodically kill the few remaining survivors, he was again struck at how much the centaurs hated the Acromantulas, and he wondered why Dumbledore never offered them any help before. Magorian told him that less than a thousand of their kind are left in the world, and that they could not afford to lose a single foal. When Harry saw a furious Headmaster and his huge Keeper of Keys approach through the trees, he realized that he might get an answer. He had never seen Dumbledore so angry before.

"Magorian, why did you allowed this atrocity to take place?"

"The centaurs do not answer to you wizard," Bane replied. While some of the other centaurs deferred to the Headmaster, the mighty warrior did not. "We removed a threat to the centaur herd and to every other magical creäture in this Forest. A threat which was brought here by your servant Hagrid, and was left to fester for over fifty years."

"The Forbidden Forest was just as much their home as it is yours," Dumbledore bellowed. "You had no right to do this."

"Yes, they did," Amelia said as she entered the blood-soaked clearing leading a large group of Chinese wizards and witches.

Su had sent her mother a signal that it was safe to begin harvesting the corpses, and the Aurors had come along to provide security for the Li family specialists. Their party also included photographers from the _Daily Prophet_ and several other magical newspapers. A bloody fight between magical creatures always made for good copy.

"Minister Fudge signed an official decree authorizing this... extermination. Having a large number of Acromantulas this close to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade was a danger the Ministry of Magic was no longer willing to accept."

"Why wasn't I consulted beforehand?" Dumbledore asked in a harsh tone.

"Fudge didn't think it was necessary," Amelia replied with a smile. "After all **he** is the Minister of Magic, while you are just a lowly schoolteacher. I sometimes think you forget that."

"I"m also the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot."

"For now." Since Cissy's death Amelia had become much less tolerate of what she saw as other people's stupidity, and for Dumbledore to ignore the changing political climate here in the United Kingdom was rather stupid of him.

"Leave them alone!" Hagrid cried when he saw the Chinese wizards start to dissect the dead Acromantulas with enchanted chainsaws. Using the standard cutting spells might have contaminated the valuable venom.

"Tell those wizards to stop what they are doing," Dumbledore commanded. "These creatures were highly intelligent, and they should be given a respectful burial."

"I'm sorry Albus, but again we are simply carrying out Minister Fudge's orders. All the venom and silk is being donated to St Mungo's Hospital," Amelia told him. "Why don't you take Hagrid back to Hogwarts. These wizards and witches are doing important work, and you two are simply in the way."

As Dumbledore and a weeping Hagrid departed, Su spat on the ground to show her disgust. "It's about time someone put that old fraud in his place."

"I don't know. I have a feeling he is going to cause us problems in future," Harry said. "He is still the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and the Chief Warlock."

"For now," Su said in an echo of Amelia's earlier words. "Cleaning up this mess is going to take hours of work. Are you up for a little fun before we take our separate Portkeys home?"

"Do you really want to try **that** while we're in our Animagus forms?" Harry asked. But he already knew what her answer would be.

* * *

Boxing Day at Malfoy Manor was an exhausting affair for Harry. Not only was he separated from his three witches, but he also had to spend the holiday interacting with Draco Malfoy. The wanker was putting on quite a show, and if Harry wasn't a master at Legilimency he might have believed that Malfoy really was in love with Susan Bones. They were acting like the perfect pureblood couple, and her gullible parents were eating it up.

Another person falling for Malfoy's "I'm a Reformed Dark Wizard" scam was Sirius Black. Harry's godfather hadn't turned against him yet, but Black spent most of his time with the Slytherin. The pair had been out flying all morning despite the bad weather, and now they were talking about Quidditch. Malfoy was on his best behavior because he wanted to be named as Black's official heir, and his plan had an excellent chance of working.

Susan was sitting next to her boyfriend on the sofa with a look of adoration of her face. At least Harry knew that they were still virgins, because Amelia had promised to castrate Malfoy if he touched her niece below the neck. Lupin was too busy trying to make a good impression on Ted and Andromeda Tonks to notice Harry's presence in the room, and no doubt that was a good thing.

"Everyone, it's time for dinner," Amelia announced.

Tonight they were having roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and all the other trimmings. As always, the food the house-elves prepared was excellent. It was too bad the dinner conversation left so much to be desired.

"So Potter, are the rumors I've been hearing true?" Malfoy asked in a casual tone. "Were you really copulating with one of the other unicorns out in the Forbidden Forest after that little fight you had with the Acromantulas?"

When Black heard this question he sprayed the entire table with a mouthful of gravy and partially-chewed roast beef. Ted, Lupin, and Tonks all burst-out laughing while Amelia cleaned up the mess with a flick of her wand.

"Draco!" his Aunt Andromeda hissed. "You will apologize this instant, or I will take you down to the dueling hall and give a lesson you won't ever forget."

Harry had seen some old pictures of the insane Bellatrix Lestrange, and the likeness with her younger sister was uncanny at the moment.

"Yes, apologize," Susan told her boyfriend. "That joke was in very poor taste, especially for the dinner table."

"Who says I was joking?"

"Draco!"

"Fine Aunt Andromeda. I am sorry for bring up such a vile rumor about Potter at the dinner table. It won't happen again."

Despite his promise Malfoy got in a few more cheap potshots as the evening wore on, but soon Amelia signaled to Black and Lupin that they important matters to discuss in Lucius' old study. This was the same study where Harry had watched the affair between Lucius and Bianca Zabini begin. It seemed like that event happened in another lifetime, instead of only eighteen months ago.

"I'm afraid I have some rather disturbing news to share with you. My Aurors have had the Death Eaters Crabbe and Goyle under surveillance for the past..."

"Wait a minute, those two troll-brains are my age," Harry said.

"Not that Crabbe and Goyle, you idiot," Lupin muttered. "Their fathers."

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, Crabbe and Goyle have been under surveillance by the Aurors for the past few weeks. We were just about to arrest them when they fled the country."

"Do you have a spy at MLE feeding information to the purebloods in the Wizengamot?" a concerned Black asked.

"Yes, at least five that I know about," Amelia admitted. "And there are probably another five spies that I don't know about. Anyway, my analysts think those two are headed towards Albania."

Harry noticed a sudden change in the room's atmosphere. "What is so bad about Albania?"

"Back in the late fifties Voldemort made his first few appearances there," Lupin explained. "It was believed that he had a secret base of operations located somewhere in the region."

"He still doesn't have a real body, so what good can Crabbe and Goyle do even if they find him?" Harry asked.

"I have no idea, but that doesn't matter," Amelia said. "We **must** assume that Voldemort will be returning to the United Kingdom sooner rather than later, and act accordingly. How is the werewolf hunting going?"

"Greyback knows we are looking for him, and he has sent word that he wants a meeting with us," Lupin replied. "I'm sure he will try to kill us at this meeting, but at least it's a start."

* * *

The trip back to Hogwarts on the Express was very stimulating. Su had written letters to Hermione and Padma describing what really happened in the Forbidden Forest—not the tame version they read about in the _Daily Prophet_. Neither girl was happy about Harry's role in the Battle, and they both spent several hours lecturing him about risking his life in such a reckless manner.

"After you three and Amelia, the centaurs are the best allies I have," Harry explained. "I couldn't turn my back on them when they specifically asked for my help. After all, I am the..."

"...Lord of the Unicorns. Yes, we know," the three witches complained.

"I can't help it. The title is sort of growing on me," Harry admitted.

Of course the lectures didn't start until after Hermione had jumped his bones. The second the door to their train compartment was locked she was straddling him, and they didn't even bother taking off most of their clothes. Padma traded places with her about ten minutes later, but Su was not allowed to take a turn. The other two witches were angry at her for breaking in Blackie without them, since they wanted to document the event for posterity. Harry had no idea why, but they did.

At the Welcoming Feast that night the school learned to everyone's horror that Professor Snape was now a father. Severus Vector had been born just after the New Year, and the child and his mother were in perfect health. The Slytherins couldn't believe that their Head of House had a muggle for a father, but when they learned the truth they approved of his decision to give his new son his mother's surname. The Vectors had been a proud pureblood family for several generations, and the child now legally part of that noble line of wizards and witches.

"Plus Severus Vector is a really cool name," Harry added.

Less cool was the fact that Professor Weasley was now taking over Ancient Runes while Professor Vector was on maternity leave. As a former Curse Breaker he was well-trained in the field, and Dumbledore himself would be teaching DADA for the rest of the school year to avoid the cost of hiring a new professor. This unfortunate series of events meant that Harry now had a class taught by the ginger, and he wasn't looking forward to it.

Another problem Harry wasn't happy about was his magic. Ever since that disastrous confrontation at the end of Sirius Black's trial had left him unconscious for three days, his whole body had been pulsating with magic, and he still had no idea why. The condition wasn't painful, but it wasn't going away either. Finally he gave in to the inevitable, and told his three brilliant Ravenclaws about it.

"This is fascinating," Padma declared. "You can actually feel the magic flowing throughout your body in a wave-like pattern? There is nothing like this in the medical literature."

Su laughed at her friend's excitement. "Of course there isn't. Harry's problems with magic are always unique. We will just have to come up with an explanation for this by ourselves."

"We should start with some basic diagnostic spells to in order to establish a firm baseline," Hermione suggested. "Then we can begin to monitor his magic for any new variations."

While the girls began their new research project another problem presented itself in the form of Luna Lovegood.

"Harry Potter, you promised to give me a ride if I keep your secret, and I did," she told him one day in the Ravenclaw common room. Ginny was standing right behind Luna, nodding her head in agreement. The cute ginger looked like she was ready to curse him if he didn't give in to her friend's request.

"Fine, I will take you out on Sunday morning."

In truth Harry didn't mind doing this for Luna—whom he really liked—but he did have to send an owl to Tonks first, asking her to send his custom saddle to Hogwarts. For some reason she felt the need to deliver it in person.

"I suggest you start changing for your services. Once these schoolgirls learn what it's like to ride Blackie, you'll be able to ask for any price you want," Tonks said with a knowing smile.

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll figure it out," Tonks said just before she disappeared into the Floo at the Three Broomsticks.

It took Harry less than an hour to teach Luna how to saddle up and mount a unicorn. After a galloping ride through the Forbidden Forest, he finally did figure out what Tonks was talking about. When they returned to the castle he transformed back into his human form, and turned around to find Luna staring at him. She was breathing heavily, and her pale skin was flushed from her hairline down to her neck. He had seen a similar reaction from Su and the others a few times before.

"Oh bloody hell," Harry muttered as Luna wrapped him in a hug.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Was that supposed to be a Shield Charm?" Padma asked her frustrated twin. "Because it looked like that charm mother taught you to iron your dress robes."

"Maybe I should use an Ironing Charm on your ugly face!" Parvati screamed as she continued casting at her sister without any success.

The two Patil sisters had been taunting each other ever since Su began her Defense Club. Padma would declare that Parvati was a pathetic excuse for a witch, and Parvati would retaliate with an increasing violent number of curses. The Gryffindor brought along her roommates for moral support, although Lavender Brown seemed more interested in learning how to curse the boys who kept staring at her ever-increasing breasts. Lisa Turpin and Mandy Brocklehurst actually wanted to practice for their DADA exams, and Hermione said more than once that both witches should have been sorted into Ravenclaw.

Given the looming threat of Voldemort's return, Susan's Aunt Amelia had ordered her niece to attend the Defense Club. Being a Hufflepuff she had brought along her friends, and what they lacked in skill they more than made up with their willingness to work hard. The real shocker to Harry was the Slytherins. Not only had Millicent show up as expected, but so had Daphne Greengrass, Tracy Davis, and Pansy Parkinson. To be honest though all Pansy was interested in learning about was how to curse Susan, since the Huffleslut had stolen Malfoy away from her.

"Parvati, you're such a stupid cow. You just called yourself ugly," Pansy correctly pointed out, since the two were identical twins.

"Will you two stop fighting?" Susan pleaded. "The rest of us are sick of it."

"I agree," Su said. "The next witch who opens her mouth—and that includes you Pansy—will have to duel me. And I won't be holding back this time."

The classroom immediately quieted down. After the first few meetings the other witches stopped questioning Su's status as their leader. The Chinese witch was by far the best duelist, and she made sure everyone knew it.

There was another hidden reason behind the current success of the Defense Club. Whenever they met Harry would be sitting off in one of the corners of the empty classroom under his Invisibility Cloak, broadcasting his Charisma into the witches present. Over the past few years his endurance had improved to the point were he could last for an hour before the burning of his runes became intolerable. As a result of his efforts the witches experienced a mild sense of euphoria while they practiced, and that made the Club popular despite Su's harsh teaching style.

"Alright, since you are all having such difficulty with the concept of dodging I will once again demonstrate the technique. Weasley, get your tiny arse up here."

While Ginny was only a second-year, she was also the next best dualist in the Defense Club after Su herself thanks to all the tutoring she had received from her older brothers. The ginger was a natural athlete, and she had made the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as a chaser in her first year of eligibility. Ginny had no real chance against Su, but since she was so good at dodging she was able to concentrate on her offensive spells. As a result it took almost three minutes for Su to finish her off.

"Did you all see how by minimizing her use of defensive shields Weasley was able to conserve her magic?" Su asked. "Many wizards prefer to exhaust their opponents rather the risk an attack. A witch has to learn not just what type of spells to cast, but also when not to cast any spells at all."

After a few more mock duels Su dismissed the others for the night. Even Hermione and Padma bowed out to take a shower. Harry didn't blame them. They were both smelling pretty ripe after the hour-long practice.

"Well, how are our Club members doing?" he asked.

"Better than I expected," Su admitted. "Considering how young they are, it's a miracle that they have already mastered the basics. Give me a few more months, and they will be a match for most of the upperclassmen."

"But can we trust them?"

Harry was learning that while his Legilimency was a useful tool, it was far from a perfect one. Several times he had misinterpreted the images he had seen in other people's minds. Harry now believed that he needed other sources of information if he wanted to know what was really going on here at Hogwarts—hence his question to Su.

"Lovegood, Bulstrode, Brown, and the lesser Patil will definitely support you in the future—if you asked them nicely enough."

"But not Ginny?"

"Weasley is loyal first and foremost to her own family, and they are loyal in turn to Headmaster Dumbledore," Su explained.

"What do you think about Susan?"

"Poor Bones is in love with Malfoy, and who knows how that will affect her judgement. On the other hand Turpin, Brocklehurst, and the other Hufflepuffs are only interested in improving their casting. As far as I can tell they have no political views one way or the other, beyond the standard fear of You-Know-Who."

"So they aren't for me or against me," Harry reasoned. "What about Greengrass, Davis, and Parkinson?"

"Spies," Su answered at once. "They are reporting to their parents though, not to any of the other students. I was able to intercept a few letters Greengrass and Parkinson sent to their parents, and they were just general reports on the pureblood gossip they heard around the castle."

"How in the name of Merlin did you manage to intercept mail owls?"

"It would be best if you didn't know my methods. Now I am filthy, and if memory serves you promised to wash my hair tonight."

Harry was happy to oblige, since by tradition he always washed Su's hair while they were having sex in the shower. It was physically demanding, but so worth it.

* * *

The next week during their Arithmancy class Professor Weasley was sitting on his desk, telling them yet another one of his **war stories **from his days in Egypt. You would've to torture Harry to get him to admit it, but Curse Breaking for Gringotts did sound like an interesting career. He might have even liked the ginger wizard, if only he wasn't wear those stupid dragon-skin boots.

"You have to understand that the reason the Ancient Egyptians used mummification and filled their tombs with treasure was because they believed their physical bodies and all that treasure would be available to them in the afterlife. That is why the defenses around the tombs couldn't too destructive, or all the treasure inside would be lost. These limitations led to the use of wards which created lethal poisons and gases when activated. How do you think the early thieves got around magical defenses like that?" Professor Weasley asked.

"Did they use golems?" Terry Boot offered.

"That is a good guess, but golems are very expensive to create, and it takes a lot of magic of animate one. As a rule thieves tend to be poor, and powerful wizards could usually find honest work back in those days."

Michael Corner then raised his hand. "What about a Bubble-Headed Charm?"

"That would work against gases, but several poisons can be absorbed directly by any exposed skin. Does anyone else have any ideas?"

"What about Vampires?" Hermione asked. "They were mostly social outcasts in the ancient world, so it would be cheap to hire them. They aren't affected by poisons or gases, since they have different body chemistries than normal wizards."

"Correct Miss Granger—ten points to Ravenclaw," Weasley said. "Yes, that is exactly what began happening around the start of the New Kingdom. To defend against this new threat posed by the vampire thieves, the Egyptian pharaohs ordered their court wizards began crafting these puppies."

The young Professor then held up a small silver rune which was about the size of fist. When all the students were looking directly at the rune Weasley tapped it with his wand. A blinding white light immediately filled the entire classroom. Several students cried out in pain, and began rubbing their throbbing eyes.

"Pretty cool, isn't it. And that is only a small faction of the rune's potential power," Professor Weasley explained.

"Was that really sunlight we just saw unleashed?" Padma asked.

"Yes, it was real sunlight. A single rune like this one is more than enough to kill a hundred year-old vampire, even in the middle of the night."

"Could it be used to capture moonlight as well as sunlight?"

"I suppose it's theoretically possible, since moonlight is just another form of sunlight, but it wouldn't be of much use. Moonlight can't be used as weapon against dark creatures. Why do you ask?"

"I was just curious," Padma replied as she looked over at Harry and winked.

* * *

That weekend Harry and his three broodmares traveled out to the Shrieking Shack for a meeting with Lupin, Tonks, and Black which they had arranged by owl. For the past few days Harry and Su had been stealing silverware from the Great Hall, and melting it down. Padma and Hermione had then created a rune just like the one Professor Weasley had shown them in class. Once they reached the Shack Padma placed it on the table in front of the three adults and activated it. Lupin promptly screamed in pain, and fell to the floor.

"Harry Potter, what in the name of Merlin did that witch just do?" Tonks demanded. She had her wand out, and if his answer didn't please her someone was going to get hurt.

"Relax, Lupin is fine." Harry said as he calmed the Auror down with a burst of Charisma. "Padma, please explain your idea."

"So let me get this straight," Black said after the Indian witch gave the adults a rough outline of their new plan. "We collect the light of a full moon with these silver runes, and then we use them on Greyback during our meeting to force him to transform. That's crazy. The maniac is the most dangerous werewolf in Europe. The last thing we want to do is face him at full strength."

"No, you don't understand. The silver runes won't completely turn him into a werewolf—they will just trigger a partial transformation when he least expects it," Padma explained.

"And during the early stages of the transformation is when any werewolf is the most vulnerable, given how painful the change in shape is to our bodies," Lupin reasoned.

"Exactly," Su said. "You can't defeat Greyback when he is a werewolf, and even when he is in his human form he could probably beat all three of you with his wand. Padma's plan is our best and safest option."

While it was possible for muggles to become werewolves, they rarely survived for longer than a year or two since the trauma of the monthly transformation was too much for their fragile bodies. But wizards were much more durable thanks to the regenerative properties of their magic. Fenrir Greyback was a particularly powerful wizard, and that had allowed him to survive for decades despite his curse. His magical strength also meant that few wizards other than Dumbledore could defeat him in duel, but for some reason the Headmaster didn't seem interested in finishing-off the monster.

"What will happen to Remus?" a concerned Tonks asked.

"Moonlight doesn't kill werewolves, so the runes will only make him vulnerable like Greyback," Harry told her. "As long as Lupin stays out of the way when we attack, he should be fine."

"What do you mean when **we** attack?" Black asked. "You aren't going to have anything to do with this ambush."

"I did fine against the Acromantulas, and I will do fine against the werewolves," Harry said. "I thought I explained to you already that I'm not a bloody squib."

"Will the both of you just calm down," Lupin ordered. His new relationship with Tonks was doing wonders for his self-confidence. "How many of these runes will you need?"

"A forty or so, to be on the safe side," Padma told them.

Black let out a booming laugh. "Forty or so. I think Dumbledore will notice if all the silverware in Hogwarts suddenly goes missing, and the last thing we want is for that old peace-lover to get wind of this idea."

"We aren't going to use the any more silver from Hogwarts," Su said. "Hermione knows a place were we can find all the pure silver we need, even if we wanted to create a thousand runes."

"My father owns some shares in a large muggle company called Johnson Matthey PLC," Hermione explained. "Among other things they refine metals like platinum and sliver in industrial quantities. As part of a science project my parents and I visited one of their factories a few years ago, so I can tell you just where to go to find what we need."

"Cor blimey!" Tonks yelled. "Harry told me how much you like obeying the rules, but now you want us to rob some big muggle corporation?"

"We are not going to rob them. Not really," Hermione said defensively. "We are just going to borrow some of their silver for the weekend, so we can deal with a terrible mass murderer. When we are done with the runes we will melt them back down, and return the silver to its proper owners. If we use enough Notice-Me-Not Charms they will never know it was gone."

"It just might work," Lupin mused. "If we can eliminate Greyback and his most loyal enforcers all at the same time, I think I could convince the other werewolf packs to pursue a more moderate stance towards the magical world. The alliance with Voldemort back during the seventies was very unpopular with most of my kind."

"You could become the new Greyback, but without being a complete psycho," Tonks said.

It was obvious from the way she was looking at Lupin that the Auror was aroused by the thought of being with such a powerful werewolf leader. Harry was starting to wonder if it was even possible for a Metamorphmagus to have a normal sex life. It didn't seem likely, not if he and Tonks were anything to go by.

* * *

The meeting with Greyback was scheduled to take place at a Chinese restaurant in London called Lee Ho Fook. This was a lucky break for Harry's side, since the owner of the place was heavily in debt to a local Soho loan shark. Su persuaded her mother to buy up the man's outstanding debts, and he agreed to let his new creditors install the silver runes early on Saturday morning in exchange for some forbearance.

That night Harry returned to London with a new Asian face. He met Black across the street from the restaurant, and his godfather was also in disguise thanks to some Polyjuice Potion bought in Knockturn Alley. They both looked like the average busboys you would find at any Chinese restaurant in the London metropolitan area. Amelia and Tonks were already inside, and they looked like a pair of cute Chinese waitresses.

"Why are you doing this?" Black asked as they crossed the busy street. "You don't have to prove anything to me, or to anyone else."

"Yes, I do. Voldemort plans on killing me, so I need as many allies as I can get before he returns," Harry explained. "The wizards of the magical world will never love me, but I can make them respect me. By killing dark wizards and basilisks and Acromantulas and insane werewolves like Ferir Greyback I **will** earn that respect. Any no one will be able to take it away from me."

"The wizards and witches of Britain accepted Dumbledore as their leader, and he never killed anyone," Black commented. "Not even the Dark Lord Grindelwald."

"I wish I could walk Dumbledore's path, but I can't impress my fellow wizards with incredible displays of magic like he can. In the end all I can offer them is the dead bodies of my enemies."

The next hour seemed to drag on forever. Harry and his allies were scattered all around the restaurant as Lupin waited at one of the tables for Greyback to arrive. Meanwhile several of Greyback's loyal werewolves were also sitting down to eat dinner. Lupin recognized a few of them, but until they transformed it was too risky to move against them. At one point Harry had to dump some trash bags out in the alley behind the restaurant, and his godfather came out to help him.

"You know, I don't really like you," Black said suddenly as they loaded the smelly dumpster.

This had been happening to Harry his entire life, but being rejected by another wizard—especially his own godfather—was still painful. If James Potter was still alive today would he also hate his own son? He wanted to tell Black about his Charisma, but that would probably cause even more problems down the road.

"Yes, I figured as much."

"I don't know what it is that sets me off. You seem like an OK kid. Both Tonks and Amelia think the sun shines out of your arse, plus you've got those three cute Ravenclaws hanging on your every word. By the way, have you snogged any of them yet?"

"Among other things."

"All three of them? Now I know why I don't like you," Black said with a rueful smile. "Of course, I never liked your mother either. Lily was the queen of all swots, and I could never figure out what James saw in her."

"Trust me godfather, you would be amazed at some of the things those swots can learn from their books."

A few minutes later they saw Greyback walking in the front door of the restaurant. The werewolf was nearly as tall as Hagrid, but unlike the Hogwarts Groundskeeper **his** two-hundred kilogram weight was pure muscle. Harry didn't doubt for a second that the Greyback could kill him with nothing more than his bare hands, and it wouldn't even be a challenge.

"Well, if it isn't Dumbledore's pet dog," Greyback said as he sat down across the table from Lupin. "I remember you cowering like a little girl when I cursed you all those years ago, and now look at you: still cowering like a little girl."

Lupin wanted to keep Greyback distracted until everyone was ready, so he started the conversation with one subject that was sure to get the monster's undivided attention. "Voldemort is still alive, and it's only a matter of time until he returns to the United Kingdom."

"Boy, are you honestly telling me that your master Dumbledore made up that whole story about Harry Potter killing my good friend the Dark Lord?" Greyback asked. "Why would he do something crazy like that?"

"I can't speak for Dumbledore's motives. Will you continue our alliance with Voldemort and the Death Eaters when he returns?"

"Our alliance?" Greyback asked with a smile that showed off his unnaturally long canine teeth. "You never considered yourself a true werewolf before."

"I am a werewolf, and nothing I will ever do can change that fact. Now are you going to run back to your master like a good dog or not?" Lupin pressed. "We both know that the situation for our people has only gotten worse in the past few years. If you start attacking the Aurors again, the Ministry of Magic will finally decide to hunt us down once and for all."

"That is what you could never understand. **Your** Ministry of Magic and **your** benevolent Albus Dumbledore will never accept us, no matter how well-behaved we are. The only choices they have ever given us are a quick death at the hands of the Aurors, or a slow death caused by poverty and disease. I know which way I want to go."

"There has to be a better way."

"I once believed that too, but harsh experience was taught me otherwise." Greyback then paused dramatically before adding: "Besides, I have grown to enjoy the sound of their screams. Just like I will enjoy the sound of your screams tonight. And those of your friends too—I smell a lot of Polyjuice Potion in the air."

"So you plan on killing me?" Lupin asked, even though he already knew the answer to that question.

"I admit, it will be a waste of talent. You're clever and well-educated, which is rare for our kind. You could be of great use to the packs."

"If I submitted to your authority?"

"Which you won't," Greyback said dismissively. "So tonight you must die. I can't allow another werewolf to challenge me in public, especially one as pathetic as you."

Lupin said nothing, because there was really nothing left to say. Instead said he slammed his fist down on the master rune sitting on the chair next to him. The whole restaurant immediately filled with a blinding white light, and all eight of the werewolves in the dining room screamed in agony. Greyback's hidden supports were indeed scattered around the room, but now they were easily to find.

In the confusion Harry, Tonks, Amelia, and Black finally attacked. They had cast protective charms over their eyes, so they had no problem seeing. None of them bothered casting any spells directly at the werewolves, since they were so difficult to kill with magic. Instead they levitated the silver railroad spikes they had hidden around the dining room that morning, and then sent them flying at the nearest live target.

Although the werewolves were all dying, they still fought back. Luckily everyone had armor on underneath their muggle clothes just in case, so none of them were injured. Greyback had a dozen of the silver spikes sticking-out of his huge body, but he still wouldn't go down. He wanted to kill Lupin before the end, but Tonks' Banishing Charm sent him flying across the room. Harry had brought along the axe he had used to kill the basilisk down in the Chamber of Secrets, and he used it to finish off the great werewolf.

Black hadn't told anyone, but earlier in the day he had invited his shag buddy Rita Skeeter along to watch the fight. Her photo of Harry—in his base form—delivering the deathblow to Greyback's head made the front page of _Daily Prophet_ the next day. Unfortunately that was the mistake Dumbledore had been waiting for them to make.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Despite Tonks' prediction of mass requests, only two witches at Hogwarts had the courage to ask Harry the Werewolf Slayer for a ride on Blackie the Unicorn, and neither one of them were Gryffindors. The first was Luna, who waited for him at the edge of the Forbidden Forest every morning. After spending the night with the unicorns—who weren't much for conversation—Harry found himself enjoying these daily excursions. Luna jabbered away about a host of magical creatures as they galloped through the Forest, and he had a feeling the witch was more qualified to teach the Care of Magical Creatures class than Professor Hagrid.

The second witch who asked for a ride was Millicent Bulstrode, and her attitude could be summed up in one word: more. No matter how fast Blackie could run and no matter how high Blackie could jump, Millie always wanted more. And that wasn't all she wanted. The Slytherin secretly ordered a magical tent, and had it assembled deep inside the Forbidden Forest. Two or three or four times a week they would race out there for a spot of lunch... and for other things.

Apparently Harry's taste in witches was very eclectic. While he would always love Su's slender body, he also adored Millie's voluptuous curves. Her breasts were so big and round. And when they bounced up-and-down it was hypnotic. Her face was plain—especially when compared to his three beautiful broodmares—but she was so happy and grateful and enthusiastic that Harry didn't care.

The tent Millie bought contained a magnificent fireplace, and the two naked and sweaty teens were lying next to it on a delightful soft manticore-skin rug. The wealthy witch had spared no expense when she ordered the tent's interior decorations. There was even a copy of the famous Prefects' bathroom, which they bathed in after—or during or between—their many trysts.

"Harry, my grandfather's weekly letter had some important news in it this morning," Millie said after she caught her breath. (Afterwords they were both always out of breath.) "It's about Amelia Bones."

"Why didn't you say anything about it earlier?"

"Because I didn't want to ruin our special time together. I'm sorry for being so selfish."

"Don't worry about it. I understand."

And he did. Poor Millie was one of the loneliest people he had ever met, and her life in the Slytherin dorms was often miserable. Becoming a full Metamorphmagus had been an eye-opening experience for Harry. The more attractive he became, the better he was treated by everyone around him. But during the few times he wore an ugly face in public most people just ignored him, and some would even pretend that he didn't exist.

That was what it was like for Millie all the time. Most wizards and witches at Hogwarts just pretended that she didn't exist—unless they needed someone to ridicule when they got bored. Harry wanted to believe that this would change if people actually got to know Millie better, but in his heart he knew most of them never would.

"Tell me about your news."

"Headmaster Dumbledore wants a full Wizengamot investigation into the death of Fenrir Greyback, and he's insisting that Amelia Bones testify under Veritaserum."

"I don't understand. Everyone was so happy when I killed Greyback, so why does Dumbledore want an investigation?"

"Harry, the average witch and wizard was happy about Greyback's death, but the major pureblood families were not," Millie explained. "They've been paying Greyback and his werewolves bribes for years. If you sent him a certain amount of galleons on a regular basis, you and your family members were left alone. Now that formal protection from the werewolves is gone, and many members of the Wizengamot are angry about it."

"So Greyback was running a protection racket that kept the purebloods safe, while he attacked everyone else?" Harry asked.

"That about sums it up. Greyback was also another way to keep the lesser elements of our society from gaining too much political and economic power. It a half-blood or muggleborn was causing too many problems for the Ministry of Magic, certain people would send word to Greyback. Even if he failed to kill the trouble-maker, an attack by a few werewolves was usually enough to shut them up for good."

"How did you learn about all this stuff at your age?"

"My older brothers aren't very smart, so my grandfather wants to make sure someone in our family knows what's really going on. That's why he told me about the Wizengamot investigation. The purebloods can't attack Bones directly because she such a dangerous witch, so they're going to use Dumbledore as their patsy."

"But why does **he** want to move against Amelia? I know Dumbledore was mad about the Acromantulas, but we're still on the same bloody side."

"I don't know," Millie replied. "But my grandfather says when your enemies are fighting amongst themselves, you should stay out of their way until they cut each others' throats."

"Your grandfather sounds like a delightful fellow," Harry muttered.

"Not really. He's a nasty blighter, but he's also very clever. I trust his political judgment, and so should you."

* * *

Harry sent Amelia an owl that afternoon explaining what he had learned from Millie. That night she arrived at Hogwarts, and demanded that Dumbledore explain himself in the privacy of the Headmaster's office.

"Albus, this is the worse possible time for us to be playing political games in front of the Wizengamot. I have solid intelligence that places two known Death Eaters in Albania, and there is only one reason Crabbe and Goyle would make such a trip."

"Amelia, I am not playing games. You have been acting in a rash manner these past few months, and if I don't put a stop to it soon who knows what kind of damage you will end up causing."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Mr Potter, you will remain silent. You have nothing to contribute to this meeting. In fact, I insist that you leave my office at once."

"Stay right where you are," Amelia told him. She knew his presence would keep Dumbledore off-balance, which is why she wanted him here. "Since you refused to answer his question, I will ask it again. What are you talking about?"

"It was well-known that you and Mr Potter were present at the attacks against the Acromantulas and Fenrir Greyback, but I have also recently learned about the role you played in bringing the vampire hunter Lady Marites here to the United Kingdom from Asia. London was just the start of her mad crusade, and now she was moved on to the Continent. There have been reports of major battles between wizards and vampires in Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris."

"The vampires are nothing more than parasites, and I won't shed a single tear even if Lady Marites and her people slaughter the lot of them," Amelia shot back.

"The treaty between the Ministry of Magic and the vampires has kept the peace for over a hundred years, and now you have placed that treaty at risk with your actions," Dumbledore said.

"For Merlin's sake, the vampires broke the treaty when they allied themselves with Voldemort back during his rise to power. We have to act now before he returns with all of his strength," Amelia countered.

The old wizard ignored her argument. "You were just as foolish in your dealings with the Acromantulas. They were living peacefully in my Forest until you decided to launch an unprovoked attack on them. And by killing Fenrir Greyback you have caused a violent civil war to erupt among the werewolves to determine his successor. Fortunately my adherent Remus Lupin will able to provide us with information about this dire situation."

Amelia and Harry shared a look. Was Dumbledore simply deluded, or was there something more sinister going on?

"What do you hope to accomplish by airing all of this during an open session of the Wizengamot?" Amelia asked. "Over a dozen members are marked Death Eaters, and even more are known to be sympathizers. If we went ahead with this investigation we would be providing Voldemort with information about our future war plans at no cost."

"Exposing your so-called war plans is exactly what I want to do," Dumbledore declared. "You must be stopped at once before you can cause anymore destruction. I have spoken to several important members of the Wizengamot, and they agreed that you should be removed from your current position. Kingsley Shacklebolt will be named as your successor next week."

"So at last we come to the truth," Amelia snarled. "You want a Dumbledore lackey to take over my job, since you no longer have any political control over Minister Fudge."

"Kingsley is a gifted Auror, and I..."

"Shacklebolt is your lackey, and he has been since the day he gradated from Hogwarts. I'm perfectly aware that he been illegally passing you information about the DMLE. He has no independent base of support within the Ministry of Magic, and Fudge will get rid of him in less than six months."

"Kingsley has my support."

"Like I said, he was no independent base of support within the Ministry—something that any Head of the DMLE needs in order to survive," Amelia explained. "Albus, you are being played for a fool by the Minister and the purebloods. Once I'm gone no one will be able to limit Fudge's control over the entire Ministry of Magic. Shacklebolt **will** be sacked, and Dolores Umbridge or someone equally vile will take over the DMLE. All the progress I have made with the Aurors during the past few years will be wrecked in a matter of weeks. You will be handing Voldemort control of the Ministry on a silver platter when he finally returns to the United Kingdom."

"You are mistaken. I will be able to guide Cornelius, just as I always gone in the past," Dumbledore intoned. "Only under my leadership can we hope to survive this coming struggle."

"So you are determined to go through with this investigation, no matter the consequences?"

"I am sorry, but allowing someone as misguided as you to remain in a position of power is unacceptable."

"Fine, then I will resign."

"No, you can't do that," Harry said. "We can fight this together."

The witch held out a hand to silence him. "I will resign Albus, and in return you will drop any plans to have me testify under Veritaserum. Fudge would insist on knowing everything that I have done, and I will not hand that much important intelligence over to Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then the Boy-Who-Lived will testify under Veritaserum as well. Harry has all sorts of interesting things to tell the Wizengamot, and none of his testimony will paint you in a favorable light."

"Why don't I just do that anyway?" Harry demanded. "I have all sorts of dirty laundry on this bastard."

"No, I will not start a war among the few wizards and witches who actually oppose Voldemort," Amelia said forcefully. "What about you Albus? Is my resignation enough, or will you only be happy when I am locked up in Azkaban? Which is exactly where Fudge wants me."

"Stripping you of your power is all I require."

* * *

Harry was hanging upside down in the Come and Go Room, but alas it was not as part of some kinky role-playing game. No, his three Ravenclaws were continuing their ongoing research into his bizarre pulsating magic. So far they hadn't learned anything significant, but Hermione insisted that they were making progress nonetheless.

"Thanks to all these medical rituals we know you aren't suffering from any diseases—magical or otherwise," she pointed out.

"We also know it's not negatively affecting your other abilities," Padma added. "For example your Legilimency is still working fine. In fact, it's probably gotten stronger during last year."

"Stop worrying about your condition so much," Su told him. "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger."

"I may not be as brilliant as the rest of you, but I know that you should always start running when someone quotes Nietzsche," Harry said as he dismounted from the contraption where he had hung upside down for twenty minutes. "Come on, we are going to be late for Astronomy."

The Ravenclaws had Professor Sinistra's class with the Slytherins this year, and that meant they had to deal with Malfoy. The wanker had dumped Susan the very morning he read about Amelia's resignation from the Ministry in the _Daily Prophet_. The poor Hufflepuff was now an emotional wreck, but Malfoy didn't care in the least. Ever since then Harry and Su had been plotting ways to secretly kill him. It was a fun way to stay awake during their History of Magic class.

"Hello Harry," Millie said as she set-up her telescope beside his.

Hermione and Padma dismissed the lovestruck witch with a roll of their eyes, but Su must have heard something she didn't like in the Slytherin's tone of voice. "Bulstrode, why are you in such a good mood tonight?"

Harry was hoping that his **camping buddy** was answered with something like: "because your boyfriend gave me a brilliant rogering a few hours ago out in the Forbidden Forest". Instead Millie said: "I did well on my Transfiguration essay today" without missing a beat. The Sorting Hat knew what it was doing when it placed her in Slytherin.

Su wasn't the only one to notice how close the sizable witch was standing to Harry. The male snakes kept glancing over towards them, and snickering. This rude behavior continued all during class. While Millie was able to ignore it thanks to years of practice, Harry grew more and more angry on her behalf. By the time the class was over he couldn't take it anymore, and went over to confront them. It didn't go as well as he had planned.

"Listen Potter, you may have the rest of these gullible sheep convinced that you're some kind of great hero, but I know the truth," Malfoy said in his most snide voice. "You're just another squib, and I could kill you any time I wanted to."

"What did you just say?" Su hissed. "If you ever threaten Potter again, I will curse you from one end of this castle to the other. Do you understand me you little piece of troll shite?"

Malfoy was furious, but he made no reply. The Chinese witch had proven how strong her magic was several times in the past, and the Slytherin knew he was sure to lose any duel between them. But then Hermione had to go and ruin it by grabbing Su's wand arm.

"Come on, Draco isn't worth it."

Her interference gave Malfoy an opening. "**Aquamenti**" he shouted, and a thick jet of water emerged from the tip of his wand. Su was close to the edge of the Tower's large balcony, and this jet of water was just powerful enough to push her petite body over the side of the metal railing.

"No!" Harry screamed, and he instinctively lunged for her.

Suddenly his pulsating magic began to surge from his body in a way he had never felt before, and Su somehow appeared in his outstretched arms... as if by magic. The two looked at each other in shock as Su warped herself tightly around his body. They were now floating three meters away from the Astronomy Tower and nearly hundred meters above the rocky ground below.

"Potter, can you please get us back to the castle," Su calmly whispered. "Because I don't think this spell or whatever it is you're doing is going to last for very long."

Without any conscious thought on Harry's part, they slowly drifted back to the open balcony of the Astronomy Tower. There—with Su still in his arms—he landed as gracefully as any owl in the world. Their amazed classmates were all staring at them, waiting for answers that Harry didn't have.

"Potter, what the hell did you just do?" Terry Boot asked.

"It must have been some kind of accidental magic."

Harry then gathered his belongings and ran from the classroom in a panic. His three witches followed before their classmates could start asking any more questions. The foursome had never made the long trip to the Come and Go Room so quickly before, and the door immediately appeared in the wall as if it could sense their confusion and excitement. Briefly Harry explained how his pulsing waves of magic had allowed him to... fly?

"Using magic to levitate yourself that high in the air is supposed to be impossible, and I never even thought about casting any spells or charms. So what does this all mean?"

"We have absolutely no idea what it means," a smiling Padma told him. "Isn't that wonderful?"

"What she is trying to say is that we **will** figure it out, but it is going to take some additional research," a distracted Su assured him. "Now Hermione, about what you did up in the Astronomy Tower."

"I am so sorry about..." Hermione started to say, but a painful curse cut her off mid-sentence.

Short of the Cruciatus Curse itself, Su used every single type of pain-inducing magic Harry had learned about during his time at Hogwarts. He tried to stop her with his Charisma, but that didn't work. In desperation he was going to tackle Su to the ground and take her wand, but Padma transfigured one of their chairs into an iron fence that kept them separated from the other two witches.

"I love her dearly, but she needs to be taught a lesson."

Finally Hermione's screams became so loud that Harry sent a massive flood of Charisma flowing into Su. That finally brought the physical abuse to an end, but then the verbal abuse started.

"Your muggle stupidity almost got Harry and me killed. If you ever grabbed my wand arm like that again, I will torture you until you beg for death. Do you understand me? Patil, get her out of my sight."

After Padma carried the terrified and crying witch from the Come and Go Room, a furious Harry turned to face Su. "She is your friend—how could you possibly do **that** to her?"

"I can live with dying at the hands of a powerful Dark Lord like Voldemort, but I won't be killed by a nonentity like Draco Malfoy. This is a real war that you've dragged us into Potter. It's better for Granger to learn that lesson now from a friend, because if she doesn't learn it soon she will die at the hands of some psychotic Death Eater."

Harry couldn't really argue with her, because she was right: he had dragged the three of them into his personal war with Voldemort. "You own me a Life Debt after what happened tonight, and you've always told me that the Li family takes that kind of thing very seriously."

"Let me guess: I have to leave Granger alone from now on?"

"No, not Hermione. Millicent Bulstrode." After seeing what Su was capable of doing to Hermione of all people, Harry was terrified of what she might do to Millie.

The request earned him a slap in the face. "You're a right selfish bastard. Aren't three witches enough for you?"

"You can walk away from this anytime you want to," Harry said as he turned to leave. "Maybe it would be the best thing for all of us if you did."

* * *

**Author's Note**: This isn't an Evil Dumbledore story. Given how he dealt with the threat posed by Draco in the _Half Blood Prince_, I honestly believe that this is how canon Dumbledore would react if Harry began to fight the war against Voldemort proactively.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Harry awoke from the peaceful sleep that only his Animagus form could provide, and found himself surrounded. Three unicorns were all staring down at him as he tried to get up, which wasn't easy for his sleepy equine body. After the disaster last night he wasn't eager to face Su, Padma, and Hermione—especially since it was difficult to read their emotions while they were in their Animagus forms. Still, he couldn't hide in the Forbidden Forest forever.

"What brings you three out here so early in the morning?" Harry asked after transforming back into his human form. The witches quickly followed suit, and their bloodshot eyes suggested that none of them slept last night.

Hermione was the first to step forward. "I want to apologize for placing you in danger last night."

"That isn't necessary."

"Yes, it is. I've been a witch for over three years, but I continue to think like a muggle. A wand not a toy but a deadly weapon, and my failure to recognize that fact last night almost got you killed," Hermione explained before she suddenly teared-up. "I don't know how I could go on living if I lost you."

"That may be true, but it doesn't excuse Su's actions," Harry said as he gathered her in his arms. "She should have never used those curses on you, no matter what you did."

"I have already given Granger my word that I will never curse her again," Su growled. "Even if she bloody deserves it."

"Hermione, there is nothing for me to forgive, so stop being so hard on yourself. That's an order from your Unicorn Lord. Now what are we going to do about Malfoy?" Harry asked. "He had to know that spell would push Su off the Astronomy Tower, and that sounds like a serious crime to me."

"Malfoy will be arrested today for attempted murder." Padma replied. "Su sent her mother a letter last night, so the Aurors will should arrive sometime during breakfast."

"Are you serious?"

"Harry, why am I here at Hogwarts instead of receiving my magical education in China?" Su asked rhetorically. "Because I'm a hostage for my father's business partners here in Europe. If the Li family tried to cheat them, my life would be forfeit. When Malfoy almost killed me, he was placing hundreds of valuable business agreements at risk. That means the pureblood snot is going to pay."

"Wizards like to pretend that we are civilized, and that we are governed by the rule of law. In truth we are little more than barbarians," Padma explained. "Magical strength, family relationships, and personal honor are much more important to us than written contracts. Malfoy personally offended dozens of wealthy wizards around the world yesterday by attacking Su. Without the protection of his late parents, he will not be able to escape punishment. Not even if Minister Fudge tries to protect him—which I doubt he will."

"Well, that's some good news for a change," Harry said as he stretched his sore muscles. "I suppose Su has told you about Millie and me."

"Yes, I did. And we have decided that you are going to have to choose between staying with us, or to continuing to shag her."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Is that what _**you**_ have decided?"

"Let's not fight," Padma pleaded. "We understand that you are a teenage boy with no control over your hormones, but we simply will not allow Millicent to join our group."

"Three is more than enough for anyone," Su muttered.

"I know she's in love with you Harry, but she's still a pureblood racist who despises my very existence," Hermione said. "She and the other Slytherins call me a filthy mudblood all the time when no one else is around."

"Millicent also thinks Su and I are inferior, since we're not inbred Caucasians like she is," Padma added.

"She says things like that because the other snakes force her to. Millie doesn't really believe any of that nonsense."

"Yes, she does. The witch is a Slytherin, so she knows enough to hide her political views from you since your mother Lily was a muggleborn," Su explained. "But she will never accept us as true equals, so we refuse to accept her."

"I want to talk to Millie about this first," Harry said stubbornly. "And I don't like being give ultimatums like this."

"But you were cheating on us!" Hermione complained.

"That's beside the point."

As they were arguing one of the unicorns separated from the rest of the herd, and came over to join them. At first it appeared to be just another pure white unicorn, but as it approached Padma began studying it closely. It's mane and tail were a very pale yellow, not white. When she—and it was definitely a she—nuzzled against Harry's side the Indian witch realized exactly what was going on.

"My Lord, is there something else you like to tell us about your extracurricular activities out here in the Forbidden Forest?" Padma asked sarcastically.

The young wizard tuned to the unicorn and whispered: "I thought we agreed to keep this a secret from everyone."

"Potter, what is going on?" Su growled.

"It's not what you think," Harry said. "I didn't actually plan for this to happen."

"_What_ has happened?"

"As you all know, I have been giving Luna a ride through the Forest each morning. Well, a few weeks ago..."

"...I discovered that I could transformed into a unicorn too," Luna said after she returned to her human form. "Since then I been sleeping out here with Harry. It is very peaceful in the Forest, especially at night under the stars."

"A second-year witch performed a spontaneous Animagus transformation?" Padma asked. "That is unprecedented."

"That is impossible," Hermione added.

"No, that is magic," a smiling Luna said.

At this point Su turned around and completely shattered the thick trunk of thirty-meter tall oak tree with a single Reducto Curse. She then let loose with a string of colorful Chinese expletives that lasted for several minutes. Harry was tempted to laugh, but he had no desire to become a gelding. Finally Su calmed down enough to ask: "Have you two been..."

"No, we haven't," Harry said a bit too quickly. "She is still too young for that."

"I am not."

"Yes, you are!" Harry, Hermione, Padma, and Su shouted at the same time.

Luna looked down at the ground as her lower lip began to tremble. "Are you going to send me away from your very special herd?"

"Never," Harry said. "I'm the Lord of all Unicorns, and that will always include you. Isn't that right everyone?"

Padma and Hermione were too shell-shocked by the news to object, but Su was getting ready for a major fight. It was time to remind her that even a boss mare deferred to a stallion. Harry locked eyes with her, and even without words his meaning was clear: accept Luna or else.

"Fine," Su spat. "You said something about keeping this a secret. Why?"

"The disaster last night only proves that everyone around me is a target for Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The fewer people who know about Luna and her new Animagus form, the better. While we're in the castle she will keep her distance from us, but out here she is part of the herd. Now let's go see if Malfoy really gets arrested."

* * *

Much to Harry's amazement the Aurors did burst into the Great Hall during breakfast, along with Minister Fudge and Xiu Li. "That's Ambassador Chang." Su hissed as she pointed to the Chinese wizard who was accompanying the Minister and her furious mother.

Cho Chang's father was as handsome as his daughter was beautiful, but Harry wisely refrained from pointing that out to Su. Also included in the party was a tall wizard of African decent. That would be Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had replaced Amelia as the Head of the DMLE.

"Minister Fudge, Ambassador Chang, Mrs Li," Dumbledore said as he rose to greet his important guests. "To what do we owe this honor?"

"I'm afraid there has been a minor incident," Fudge said tactfully.

Shacklebolt placed his wand against his throat, and his booming voice filled the Great Hall. "I want all the third-year Ravenclaws and Slytherins who attended Astronomy class last night to stand up and follow the Aurors. We have some very important questions to ask you, and this is not optional."

"Kingsley, is this really necessary?" Dumbledore asked.

"Headmaster, I think it would be best if you referred to me as Mr Shacklebolt today," the bald wizard said. "And yes, this is necessary if we want to avoid an international incident with the Chinese."

"The leader of my government expects full coöperation in this matter," Ambassador Chang added. "I'm afraid he has always despised your country. Something about one of his noble ancestors being killed during the Opium Wars."

"I will allow these interviews, but I insist that Professor Snape and I be present to safeguard the interests of the young students."

"Leave me out of this," Snape said. "My wife would kill me if she found out that I was mixed up with the Aurors again."

None of the other professors were willing to aid the Headmaster, so he stood by helplessly as the students were taken to the small antechamber located behind the High Table. There they found the Aurors placing several large crystal bowls on one of the empty tables.

"These are Pensieves," Shacklebolt told the students. "We'll be using them to review your memories of the incident which occurred last night. Just relax and follow the instructions the Aurors give you."

After Harry and the others were done sharing their memories, they went over to speak with Su's mother. "I told your father something like this would happen if we sent you to this Scottish shite-hole. There is always some pureblood idiot who feels the need to curse the more talented half-bloods and muggleborns."

"What will happen to Malfoy?" Su asked.

"Minister Fudge agreed to a six-month sentence in Azkaban," Xiu replied. "Don't worry though—we'll deal with the little worm the minute he gets off the island."

"The Aurors aren't done collected all the relevant evidence yet, so how can the Ministry have already convicted Draco?" Hermione asked.

"Miss Granger, I will have you know that if Su hadn't argued on your behalf in her letter, you would be joining Mr Malfoy in Azkaban."

"Leave her alone!" Harry snapped. "Hermione didn't do anything wrong, and I want you both to stop trying to make her feel guilty. This whole mess is Malfoy's fault."

Being ordered to do anything by a thirteen year-old wizard caused Xiu Li to bristle. "Now you listen to me..."

"No, you listen to me," Harry said as he cut-off the older witch with a powerful burst of his Charisma. "I saved Su's life last night, so you _will _leave Hermione Granger alone."

"I will abide by your request this time. But Potter—don't make a habit of giving me orders, or you will quickly come to regret it."

After the adults finished reviewing the Pensieve memories a shocked Malfoy was arrested, and taken away by the Aurors and an unhappy Minister Fudge. Ambassador Chang left to see his daughter Cho, while Su and her mother went off for a private family conference. That left Dumbledore and Shacklebolt, who wanted to have a word with Harry.

"Mr Potter, how do you explain your actions last night in the Astronomy Tower?" the Headmaster asked after Hermione and Padma were ushered out of the room.

"It was clearly a case of accidental magic that allowed me to save Su's life," Harry replied. He then felt an attack on his mental shields. "I thought you knew that your feeble Legilimency isn't strong enough to work on me."

"Watch your mouth boy," Shacklebolt snapped.

In Harry's mind the wizard was already a lost cause, so he just ignored him. "Is there anything else you would like to know?"

"You have developed quite a reputation during these past few years," Dumbledore said. "Defeating dark wizards and dark creatures despite your young age. The people have come to see the Boy-Who-Lived as our greatest hero, and this incident with Miss Li will only enhance to your growing legend. It will be a great tragedy when Voldemort returns and kills you. And we both know that he will."

"You have already made it clear that the false prophecy concerning Voldemort is my problem, not yours."

This obnoxious response earned him a Stinging Hex from Shacklebolt, but it failed to penetrate Harry's magically-resistant skin. His failure to react seemed to unnerve the African, which was a good thing. The more strange his magical abilities seemed to other wizards, the less likely they were to attack him in the future.

"Mr Potter, if you continue to engage in these outrageous displays I will be forced to take action against you," Dumbledore said. "I have made extensive plans to deal with Voldemort when he returns, and I will not allow you to ruin them by giving the average wizard and witch a false sense of hope."

"So that should I do the next time: let the person die, rather than help them and draw attention to myself?" Harry asked incredulously.

Instead of giving him an answer, Dumbledore simply walked away. Harry then came to the horrifying realization that there wasn't just one powerful wizard wanted him dead, but two of them. How long would the Headmaster wait until he felt the need to be rid of the troublesome Boy-Who-Lived?

* * *

"So you aren't interested in marrying me after we finish Hogwarts?" a hurt Harry asked a surprised Millie.

When they had entered the broom closet the last thing in the world she expected was a theoretical marriage proposal. Harry didn't really want to marry Millie—or anyone else for that matter—but he did want to know what her true feelings towards him were.

"Harry, I really grateful that I lost my virginity to someone as gorgeous as you, instead to a loser like Crabbe or Goyle. But you are a half-blood who can barely use a wand, and my family would kill me if I even thought about getting married to you," Millie explained.

"So you were just using me for the sex until you could find a proper pureblood husband?"

"I wouldn't put it that crudely, but yes. Look, even if I could take Su in a duel—which I can't—no amount of sex is worth six months in Azkaban. That witch is a total maniac, and her family has too much political influence for a bunch of foreigners. We're going to have to end our camping trips out in the Forbidden Forest, but I would still like to be your friend."

Harry was tempted to use his Charisma on Millie until she changed her mind, but he was so hurt by her words that he couldn't bring himself to try. He was use to being rejected by wizards, but coming from a witch like Millie the sting was far worse. A short time later he found himself lying on a sofa in the Come and Go Room, with his head resting on Hermione's lap as she gently stroked his hair.

"How in the world could she do this to **me**?"

"Harry, we told you that she was a pureblood racist. Plus the Slytherins are really scared of Su and her family because of what they did to Draco," Hermione explained. "In a way this is a good sign, since it shows that your Charisma is under control again. You don't want to strip every witch you meet of her free will, do you?"

"I guess not," Harry reluctantly admitted. "You still love me, right?"

Hermione responded by shagging his brains out. Before she left for Hogwarts the witch had a long discussion with her parents about sex. According to the liberal Grangers, it was a perfectly natural and beautiful part of being a human being. Hermione took those words to heart, and she absolutely loved sex in all its forms. Harry often thought about writing the Grangers a thank-you note, but he figured it would probably be a mistake.

Afterwords their pillow talk turned to the subject of study schedules for their end-of-year exams. Hermione was so talented in so many areas. "And I don't want to hear you complain about your schedule. You don't have to take the exams for Charms, Transfiguration, or DADA like the rest of us do, so you will have no excuse for not doing well in all your subjects. Is that perfectly clear?"

"Yes, Hermione."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this for Malfoy." Harry said as he sat in the boat which was taking Amelia and him out to the island prison of Azkaban. He could think of far better ways to spend his evening. Three better ways, in particular.

"You aren't doing this for Draco—you are doing this for Cissy," Amelia said with real pain in her voice. The late Narcissa Malfoy had been the great love of her life. "She sacrificed herself to save her son from that bitch Bianca Zabini, so until he is of age you and I will do everything we can to keep him alive. That means getting him out of Azkaban as soon as possible."

Since Malfoy was still a minor he was being kept in the nicest part of the Azkaban, but the nicest part of hell was still hell. Amelia knew that if Malfoy spent six whole months here he would go insane or die. Unfortunately she no longer had the political clout to get him released early. But the Boy-Who-Lived just might, if Malfoy made it worth his while.

Of course Harry was supposed to be at Hogwarts right now, so Amelia had picked the identity of a random wizard for him to copy with his Metamorphmagus skills. He had been given a Mokeskin pouch with fresh food, clean clothes, books, and an enchanted chamber pot to smuggle into the prison—along with a healthy bribe for the guards. Malfoy's living conditions were a giant step down for the pureblood aristocrat, but with all the supplies he would be getting on a regular basis he definitely had it better than the other prisoners.

"Hermione and Padma researched Azkaban, and according to them the real damage to the prisoners is done not by the harsh North Sea climate, but by the Dementors. How often is Malfoy exposed to their magical influence?" Harry asked.

"Draco is never directly exposed to them, but even indirectly the Dementors can cause serious mental damage," Amelia replied as they finally reached the shore of the island. "This could all be a waste of time, but for Cissy's sake we will try to help him. Good luck. I'll be waiting here to take you back to Hogwarts when you're done."

As Harry passed through security around Azkaban, he wondered if Dumbledore had done them a favor by getting Amelia fired. Back when she was the Head of the DMLE she constantly worried about breaking the law, but now she no longer cared. The illegal documents she had supplied him with worked like a charm.

"Hello Malfoy," Harry said after he had bribed the guard to leave him alone with the prisoner for a few minutes.

"Who are you?"

Slowly the face Harry had borrowed melted away to reveal his base form. An enraged Malfoy rushed forward and tried to strangle the Squib-Who-Lived with his bare hands. Harry sensibly stayed on the other side of the cell, where the chained prisoner couldn't reach him.

"Potter, I'm going to kill you! You and your Chinese whore!"

"Listen Malfoy, we don't have much time, so I will keep this brief," Harry said as he dumped the supplies on the stone floor. "The moment you leave Azkaban Su's family intends to have you killed."

"So you come all the way out here just to gloat?"

"I don't give a rat's ass about you, but I did care a great deal about your mother. Cissy gave her life to protect you, and to honor her sacrifice I'm offering to help you now," Harry explained.

"How could you possible help me?" Malfoy asked

"I have some influence with the Ministry of Magic and with the Li family, but I will only use that influence in return for an Unbreakable Vow from you promising never to serve Voldemort."

"The Dark Lord is dead. You killed him."

"No, he's still alive. And when he returns he will want control over the Malfoy Vault and everything in it. Because you were sentenced to Azkaban for attacking one of Harry Potter's best friends, Voldemort will never doubt your loyalty. You'll be in a perfect position to supply us with intelligence about all his activities when he returns."

"Potter, you're a fool. I am loyal to the Dark Lord's political agenda, and I will _**never**_ become a spy for the Light."

"Alright, then you can spend the next six months here in Azkaban, and when you are released you will be killed the moment to reach the mainland. Your cousin Tonks will inherit everything you own, which is fine by me. The only reason I made this offer was to keep my ally Amelia Bones happy," Harry said as his face once again began to change.

"Wait a minute. You're actually going to blackmail me? The Boy-Who-Lived can't do something like that!"

"Your cousin Tonks is coming to visit you tomorrow, and you can give her your answer. Just remember Draco, I'm the only one who can keep you alive. But if you want my help it's going to cost you dearly."

As Harry made his way back down to the docks he saw one of the Dementors floating in the sky. The Ministry of Magic was able to keep the dark creatures confined here on Azkaban, but Voldemort had often used them to attack his enemies during the war. Even when Amelia was the Head of the DMLE, she had never been able to learn how the Dark Lord achieved this high level of control.

"Excuse me, but how do you deal the Dementors?" Harry asked one of the guards after he slipped her another purse full of galleons.

"We use the Patronus Charm, since it is the only thing that causes the Dementors pain," she replied. "But I will admit that it's a challenge to summon one of your best memories while sitting out here on this gloomy rock."

_Positive memories_, Harry mused._ I wonder how they would react to my Charisma?_

He got his answer when the Dementor let out a piercing scream that echoed across the entire island.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note**: (1) I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again. (2) In this alternative universe the Gryffindor witch Angelina Johnson never attended Hogwarts because Fenrir Greyback inflected her with Lycanthropy when she was just a child.

* * *

As Harry exited King's Cross Station he was feeling depressed. Once again Su was going back to China, Padma to India, and this summer the Grangers were touring South America. Even Luna was going Crumple-Horned Snorkack hunting in Sweden. (Not that it mattered, since she was still too young.) They had plans to get together in August, but that still meant two months alone wanking. He was seriously tempted to jump in front of the nearest bus.

Speaking of wanking. "Wotcher Harry," Tonks said as she rushed over to give him a friendly peck on the cheek. She was accompanied by Lupin and Black, neither of whom looked happy to see him.

"Where is your mum? I thought she was supposed to pick me up."

"We told Andromeda we would take to the Manor, but first we were wondering if we could introduce you to someone," Black said. "She's waiting for us back at my house here in London."

It didn't take a genius to figure out that this had something to do with the werewolves if these three wanted to hide it from Andromeda and Amelia. "Why not? Lead the way godfather."

They all climbed in Tonks' vintage Mini Cooper (Aurors were required to have a car in case they needed to go undercover in the muggle world), and after a short but hair-raising ride (Tonks was also clumsy behind the wheel) they parked in a scruffy neighborhood. Luckily the interior of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place was much nicer than Harry had feared, since Black had spared no expense renovating his family's ancestral home. It wasn't as nice as Malfoy Manor, but it was definitely a step-up from the drab middle-class house where Harry had been raised.

Sitting in the front parlor reading a book was a strikingly beautiful African woman. As Harry admired her dreadlocks and athletic body he revised his opinion of her age downwards—she was probably only a few years older than him. Lupin stepped forward to make the proper introductions.

"Harry, this is Angelina Johnson. Despite her youth she is one of the more influential members of the large werewolf community here in the London area."

"It's an honor to meet you Potter," Angelina said as she gracefully rose to shake his hand. He revised his opinion of her body upwards—it was even better than he originally thought. "As much as I wanted to castrate and kill Greyback myself, I still want to thank you for ridding the world of that monster. His very existence was a terrible burden to every werewolf in the United Kingdom."

"Don't make a big thing out of it," Harry said in a desperate and unsuccessful attempt to sound cool.

"I'm afraid we must make a big thing out of it, since his death has left the werewolves without an undisputed leader," Lupin explained. "Do you follow muggle football?"

"I've never been to any matches, but I use to like watching it on the telly. What does that have to do with the werewolves?"

"Well, among the packs there was only one member of the Premiere League, and that was Fenrir Greyback himself. If any of the other werewolves showed too much power and skill, Greyback would quickly kill them. This means were are about a dozen contenders from the werewolf version of Football League who want to move up to the Premiere League, but none of them can agree who is the best choice."

"So all these second-level werewolves have to fight among themselves to prove who's the next leader?" Harry reasoned.

"Yeah, but instead of a friendly football matches these will be bloody fights to the death," an unhappy Tonks pointed out.

"Most of the other contenders are animals who deserve to die, and I won't hesitate a second to kill them," Angelina said.

"What is going on here? I thought Lupin was going to take Greyback's place as the big cheese?" a confused Harry asked.

"I will be the first to admit that Remus is brilliant. But he is too old, too weak, and above all too timid to lead the werewolves," Angelina replied without the least bit of concern for the wizard's feelings.

Harry didn't really like Lupin, but he didn't want to see him run down in front of his girlfriend Tonks either. "Let me guess: you are young enough, strong enough, and arrogant enough to lead them? How exactly old are you? Fourteen or fifteen?"

"You're a cheeky little bugger. I will be turning seventeen in a few months, but I've been a werewolf for eleven of those years. Instead of wasting my time at Hogwarts playing Gobstones and Quidditch, I've been learning how to fight, and it's something I'm very good at it."

"Harry, you must understand that age doesn't matter that much to wizards and witches," Lupin told him. "No one cares that Albus Dumbledore is older than dirt. What they care about is his magical strength. Angelina is a powerful witch, and that's what's important to the other werewolves."

"The fact that I've killed eight people doesn't hurt either," Angelina added.

"I have killed more than a few times myself, and it's nothing to brag about," Harry snapped. "Lupin, is she really better than you?"

"Yes, she is. I've lived a hard life both during and after the war, and it has taken a toll on my body and on my magic. Meanwhile Angelina is just reaching her prime—both physically and magically. And you should also know that she wants me to serve as her top adviser."

"Yes, I will keep the packs in line, while Remus does all the hard work behind the scenes."

"If this is all a done deal, then why did you bring me here to talk to her?" a suspicious Harry asked.

"There is one serious contender we are both worried about," Lupin explained. "His name is Sebastian Tupelo, and while he isn't quite the psychopath that Greyback was, he still isn't the right person to lead the werewolves into the twenty-first century."

"In his heart Tupelo thinks he's an animal who just happens to look like a human being most of the time, which is pretty much the way Greyback saw himself," Angelina said. "I however know that I'm a human being who is infected with a disease. A disease which causes me to have a severe biological reaction once a month during the full moon. However the development of the Wolfsbane Potion means that biological reaction is now treatable."

"Unfortunately Wolfsbane Potion is very expensive," Black added. "I've offered to help them with the cost of brewing it, but..."

Angelina cut him off. "We aren't interested in charity from outsiders. We need to stand or fall by ourselves. All the werewolf must unite under the banner a single leader who isn't interested in fighting another pointless war against the Ministry of Magic. We need peace, which in turn will bring us greater prosperity. Only then can we pool all our resources together, and build a system for the creation and distribution of the Wolfsbane Potion."

"That all sounds great to me, so what's the problem?" Harry asked.

"The problem is Tupelo, who likes things the way things are now. I could take him in a straight-up duel with my wand, but he likes to fight dirty, and he has fifteen more years of experience than I do," Angelina admitted. "When Tonks told us about Blackie the Unicorn and your little scam at the Royal Ascot, Remus and I got an idea."

"You want to use Tonks as a ringer because she is an Auror?" Harry guessed.

"I'm no better at dueling than Johnson is," Tonks said. "And in hand-to-hand combat she can wipe the floor with me."

"Traditionally when werewolves fight they use any weapon they can," Lupin explained. "A wand, a knife, or even your bare teeth. Everything and anything is fair game when two werewolves are going at it."

"That means we need someone powerful enough to make an example of this Tupelo using magic alone," Black said. "Something spectacular that will convince the other contenders to back-off while Angelina and Remus consolidate power among all the various werewolf packs."

At this point Harry finally realized what they were getting at. "Why don't you just go directly to Amelia, and ask for her help yourselves? Why do you need me?

"Please," Lupin sneered. "Amelia Bones was a tyrant when she ran the DMLE, and being sacked hasn't made her any softer. Luckily you have her wrapped around your little finger. You're the only one who could convince her to do something this crazy."

"I can ask her, but I can't promise you anything more than that," Harry said. He doubted if his Charisma would work in a case like this. "Now what about Malfoy? Is he still refusing to take the deal we've offered him?"

"Yes, he is," Tonks admitted. "He was quite rude about it too, and he **never** thanks me when I bring him more supplies every few days."

"We just have to give him some time," Black said. "After a few more weeks in Azkaban the spoiled little snot will change his mind. Trust me, I know from experience what that place does to a person."

* * *

Three days later Harry was standing in a muggle whiskey distillery on a small island off the west coast of Scotland. Apparently Greyback thought that Firewhiskey tasted like automobile petrol, and instead he preferred the single-malt whiskey that the Scots produced which such skill. The werewolf liked it so much that he infected the previous owner of this distillery, and had the man sign over ownership of the business before killing him. The whole building was worn-down and dirty, but the enchanted muggle machines were still producing a steady supply of alcohol, which the werewolves were happy to drink in great quantities.

Now a huge group of drunken werewolves had gathered to select a new leader. Of course there wasn't going to be any voting. No, the top candidates were fighting to the death until only one remained alive. Tupelo had already killed one werewolf by gouging out both of the woman's eyes. After she saw that, the demeanor of "Angelina Johnson" changed dramatically.

"Before I was just going to maim him," Amelia said as two werewolves dragged away the mutilated corpse. "Now the bastard is going to die a slow and painful death."

At first Amelia had wanted nothing to do with this whole plan, but then she met the young werewolf in person. The two witches began flirting straight way, and that night they ended up in bed together. Harry suspected that Angelina was playing on the emotions of the still-grieving Amelia, so he performed a Legilimency scan on her without asking for permission.

To his surprise he found that while Angelina was far from being in love, her physical attraction to Amelia was real enough. Most werewolves lived short and brutish lives, and they believed in taking their pleasure wherever they could find it. The next day Amelia had agreed to use Polyjuice Potion, and to fight Tupelo on Angelina's behalf. She said that she was doing it for the greater good of the magical world, but Harry didn't believe that excuse for a second.

The duel itself was an interesting example of psychological gamesmanship. Tupelo wasn't nearly as large as Greyback, but his skill with a knife he was impressive. Most of the crowd thought he would win a quick victory over such a young werewolf, and many began taunting Amelia—or Angelina Johnson as the werewolves believed her to be. Rather than respond, she just stood there silently. Tupelo finally lost patience, and charged her like a snarling beast. At the very last second Amelia drew her wand and raised a perfect Shield Charm.

It was clear that the older werewolf was out for real blood, but before he could use his knife he had to bring down that Shield Charm. But he couldn't. Tupelo tried dozens of spells and curses with his long and rough wand, but nothing worked. After a few minutes it was clear to everyone who's magic was stronger. Having made her point, Amelia sent a Severing Charm though her opponent's much-weaker shield, and gutted him like a fish. It took awhile for Tupelo to die, and the display shocked the bloodthirsty crowd into an uneasy silence.

"Is there anyone else here who wants us to return to the dark days of Fenrir Greyback, when we acted like nothing more than pack of wild animals? Or do you want to help me build a better future for all of our people?"

The real Angelina Johnson was hiding in the room under Harry's Invisibility Cloak to fool the werewolves' heightened sense of smell, so it was easy for the two witches to switch places a few minutes later. To underscore her new position Lupin organized a crude coronation ceremony. The poor and ragged werewolves all lined up to swear allegiance to their new young and glamorous queen. Most of them actually seemed happy about it.

A party soon started, and the werewolves **really** knew how to party. Harry quickly learned that Angelina wasn't the only one who was grateful to him for killing Greyback. Several of the female werewolves—who all had multiple scars and tattoos—were happy to show him their appreciation. Harry was suffering from an acute case of blue balls, so he was happy to oblige them after his godfather taught him an advanced version of Prophylactic Charm. Sex with werewolves was safe if you took the proper precautions.

Since Black was a canine Animagus he was considered an honorary member of the pack, and he eagerly joined in the fun. Harry learned that night that alcohol had an odd effect on his Charisma, and this godfather didn't seem to mind his presence that much when they were both drunk. A werewolf orgy wasn't how he had pictured bonding with the wizard, but he would take what he could get.

* * *

The next morning the new queen Angelina and her unofficial prime minister Lupin immediately went to work. They had little choice given the chaotic state of affairs that had developed after Greyback's death. Only one of the other werewolf packs refused to accept their new leader, and this time the queen dealt with the problem herself. Harry had to admit Angelina wasn't afraid of a fight, and she had the skill to back up her arrogant boasting.

At the same time Lupin was studying what Greyback had left the packs in terms of monetary assets. Other than the distillery—which was still profitable—the old werewolf king had mostly been interested in criminal enterprises. In return for a healthy share of the profits Greyback and his enforcers had provided security for other wizards dealing in illegal potions, gambling, Polyjuice prostitution, and even a ring of blackmailers. This last group of wizards was an interesting source of information on several corrupt members of the Wizengamot.

"I have no wish to be criminal chieftain," Angelina told them. "Greyback's role in all this garbage is one of the main reasons the Ministry of Magic despises the werewolf community so much. We're going to cut ties with all of these criminals, and then go legitimate."

"After the last war a lot of low-level Death Eaters drifted into the magical underworld, and Greyback did business with many of them," Lupin pointed out. "Maybe we should consider giving these dark wizards a few going-out-of-business presents?"

"I like that idea," a grinning Black said. A summer of hedonism was agreeing with Harry's godfather, and he never looked healthier. "It would deprive Voldemort of many of his foot soldiers, and remove an important source of galleons for him at the same time."

Everyone turned to Amelia, expecting the former law enforcement officer to object to this impromptu war. "We should start as soon as possible," was all she said.

That summer dozens of minor Death Eaters disappeared from Knockturn Alley and other lowlife dives around the magical districts of the United Kingdom. Greyback never trusted his business partners, so he left the packs with excellent intelligence on their various weaknesses. The werewolf war parties were always led by the queen herself—but Amelia, Lupin, Black, and Tonks usually went along to provided Angelina with overwhelming number of wands.

At Amelia's insistence Harry was forced to stay behind at Malfoy Manor during these raids, but he was always waited up until the others returned home in the middle of the night. Black was a natural storyteller, and he loved bragging about their exploits. Tonks was enjoying herself too. She even considered quitting the Aurors, but she was quickly talked out of it by her boyfriend. Everyone agreed with Lupin that having a spy inside the Ministry of Magic was a valuable asset that they couldn't afford to throw away.

During the full moons that summer Harry found another activity he could share with his godfather besides drunken debauchery. A sizable group of werewolves gather on their Scottish island when the queen announced that the first batch of the Wolfsbane Potion was ready. Not only had they been killing the low-level Death Eaters, but they had also been robbing them. These stolen galleons allowed Lupin to begin mass production of the potion. That night Padfoot and Blackie joined the packs as they raced across the wind-swept moors and along the rocky beaches. Harry had a great time, and his only regret was that he wouldn't howl at the moon like everyone else.

* * *

"Now I want you all to remember the three D's: determination, destination, and deliberation. One must be completely determined to reach one's destination, and move without haste but with deliberation," their American apparition tutor lectured.

Xiu Li had not taken the attack on her daughter well, and in response she organized a summer-long program of magical lessons for the poor witch. As a reward Su was allowed to invite her friends to the Li family's private island in the Azores for a week in August. Unfortunately Mrs Granger and Mrs Patil came along at act as chaperones, and they brought Parvati with them.

Even worse, Su's day-long lessons continued after her friends arrived. To show solidarity with their boss mare Harry suggested that they all take part in these lessons as a group. In addition to the illegal lessons in apparition, Xiu also arranged for tutors in dueling, basic healing, and flying. While Hermione was clearly the worst of the lot on a broom, none of the girls excelled at the one activity synonymous with witches throughout the ages.

"Let's try it once more, shall we?"

Hermione, Harry, and Parvati all successful apparited to the hoop they were standing next to, but Su and Padma weren't so lucky. Both girls splinched themselves, with Su losing her right leg and Padma her left hand. Although there had already been several accidents, the sight of all that blood caused Mrs Granger to scream. Again.

"Mother, will you please calm down," an exasperated Hermione said. "Splinching is perfect normal when young witches and wizards are first learning to apparite, and the healer will have no problem reattaching their limbs."

"Perfectly normal?" Mrs Granger repeated. "Your father and I were so much happier when we thought you were learning how to pull a rabbit out of a hat."

Hermione responded to her comment by conjuring a herd of beautiful cottontails in a rainbow of colors.

Harry went over to comfort his two injured friends. Su had an awful summer dealing with her family. Not only had she dishonored herself in her father's eyes by losing a duel to Draco Malfoy, but getting the pureblood sent to Azkaban had cost their family a great deal of political influence in the United Kingdom. To redeem herself, she had been working non-stop since school ended, and she was obviously too exhausted to learn apparition or anything else for that matter.

Padma was in a terrible mood for a much different reason. Last night Parvati had caught the four of them in a compromising position, and she was now threatening her twin with exposure. Padma wasn't sure what she sister was going to demand in return for her silence, but she knew it was going to be painful.

"Are you two alright?" Harry asked.

"I'm fine," Su said curtly.

"By the time we finish these lessons I'm going to be an expert on limb reattachment. That should really be helpful when I'm applying for my healer apprenticeship," Padma said.

The Indian witch then started crying. The sight of his calm and cerebral Padma so emotionally distraught enraged Harry. He decided right then and there that what both witches needed was a real vacation, not more bloody lessons. Parvati was his first victim, and his Legilimency revealed some embarrassing information—just like he knew it would.

"Listen Parvati," Harry said after he cornered her later in the day. "I know all about your secret boyfriend back in India. So if you tell your parents about what the girls and I are doing at night, then I'm going to tell them about your little love affair too."

"You can't tell anyone," she cried. "Gokul is betrothed to the daughter of one of the most powerful wizards in India. Our families will kill us both if we caused a scandal."

It was sad commentary on the current state of matrimony, but a quick word to Mrs Granger about a certain Argentinean polo player and to Mrs Patil about the Quidditch keeper who played for Puddlemere United had them both leaving the island within the hour. Once they and Parvati were gone, Harry dismissed the tutors and collected everyone's wands. After that the three witches spent their days sunbathing, swimming, and gossiping while Harry would practice his flying for hours on end. At night they climbed into bed together, and made love until they all passed out. It turned out to be a wonderful week.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Looking good Sirius," Rita Skeeter said with a leer.

"Feeling good Rita," the former prisoner of Azkaban replied as he escorted the reporter into the Malfoy tent, which sat just a short distance from the Quidditch World Cup Stadium.

_Perhaps tent was the wrong word to use_, Harry thought as he looked around at the masterpiece of magical design.

The late Lucius Malfoy certainly wanted to make a statement. His personal tent was like one of those old jousting pavilions you saw in the history books. It was made out of green Acromantula silk, and measured ten meters by ten meters on the outside. The pointy top—which held a flag with the Malfoy crest on it—reached over twenty meters into the sky.

The interior of the tent was basically a miniature manor that put the one Millie and he used out in the Forbidden Forest to shame. The crowd they were hosting today number over three-hundred, but it wasn't even a tight fit. Dobby and Saffron the house-elves were popping around like mad as they kept the food and especially the wine flowing. Of course the tent came complete with a gourmet kitchen and an extensive wine cellar.

The crowd itself was an interesting mix of international wizards and witches who here mostly there because of Amelia. All around the magical world Cornelius Fudge was considered something of a joke, and many governments had been looking forward to the day when he was replaced with new, more competent Minister of Magic. Amelia's resignation was a blow not only to these foreigners, but also to many witches here in United Kingdom. As things stood now the Ministry was dominated by corrupt wizards.

A room full of diplomats and politicians would have been rather boring, so Su had rounded up all the members of the Defense Club from Hogwarts. Pretty and intelligent young witches were always popular with older wizards for some reason. To Harry's amazement Magorian and his mare-mate had also accepted his invitation, since the centaur leader wanted to talk with the Chilean Ambassador about the centaur herd located deep in Patagonia.

But the real draw for most was scandalous presence of a dozen known werewolves, who were all dressed in distinctive brown leather. Especially noteworthy was their confident young queen, who was mingling effortlessly with the crowd of VIPs. Most wizards and witches went their entire lives without ever meeting a single werewolf, whom they thought of as monsters straight out of a nightmare. Yet here was a whole pack of them in the flesh, chatting about the upcoming Quidditch match just like normal wizards and witches.

"Rita, please allow me to introduce you to Angelina Johnson," Sirius said as Amelia cast a privacy ward around them.

"So, you are the new Queen of Beasts," Rita remarked as she looked the young werewolf up and down.

It was almost impossible for a witch to look good in a sleeveless leather dress with a plunging neckline, but somehow Angelina managed to make the outfit work. She was definitely the belle of the ball.

"Rita, you remember the ground rules we discussed earlier?" Harry asked. After the debacle with Greyback he figured Rita needed a metaphorical leash. Black quickly agreed, which Harry found disturbing considering their relationship. "As long as we like what we read in your articles, you will continue to get exclusive interviews with the Boy-Who-Lived and his band of mischief-makers."

"And if you don't like what you read in tomorrow's _Daily Prophet_?"

"Then I will rip your lungs out," Angelina replied bluntly. "But enough of this unpleasantness. Let's get down to business."

For the next ten minutes Rita asked a series of rude questions about the werewolves and the negative influence many believed they had on the United Kingdom. In return Angelina gave her a well-rehearsed spiel about how much things had changed in the few short months since Fenrir Greyback's death. She explained to the reporter that the werewolves were no longer in business with any magical criminals, and that the Wolfsbane Potion was being used to prevent the further unwanted spread of Lycanthropy. The werewolves under her leadership now wanted nothing more than to be productive members of the larger magical community.

"Do you honestly expect my readers to believe any of this codswallop?" a skeptical Rita asked as she continued to take notes by hand. Harry had vetoed her use of a Quick-Quote Quill.

"No, not at first," Angelina admitted. "But we **have** changed, and over time others will see that our actions match our words. Next month we are even inviting the Aurors to observe our monthly transformations, so they can see the safety precautions we have in place."

Rita glanced over at Amelia. "You actually got Kingsley Shacklebolt to agree to that?"

"It wasn't that hard. The Aurors seem very pleased with the new direction the werewolf community is taking," Amelia replied.

"Would that have anything to do with the rash of disappearances taking place in Knockturn Ally?"

"Rita, remember our agreement," Harry growled.

"Fine, I will write a puff piece about your tame werewolves. Not that it will do them or you any good."

The beginning of the World Cup match was less than an hour away, so everyone began making their way towards the stadium. The crowd was massive, and since it was made-up of unruly wizards and witches bedlam soon erupted. Harry got so frustrated that he and his witches transformed into their unicorn forms, and began herding the crowd like they were overgrown sheep. When you weighed five-hundred kilograms and had a horn sticking out of your head it gave you a lot of authority. Their herding tactics proved so successful that the Aurors on duty couldn't stop thanking them.

"Will someone please explain to me why we are here, since none of us like this stupid sport?" Harry asked later on as they climbed the endless stairs up towards the Malfoy box which Lucius had paid for before his untimely death. To keep the match fair, the use of apparition and Portkeys was strictly forbidden inside the stadium.

Su slapped him on the back of the head. "We're here to show the world that the Boy-Who-Lived is not afraid to show his face in public, and that you are a worthy leader for your people. Merlin help us if they ever find out the truth."

"How can you not find all this fascinating?" Hermione asked. "The construction of this stadium in under a year is one of the most impressive displays of magic I've ever read about. They say you could fit ten muggle cathedrals inside of it with room to spare."

"Plus there are always plenty of horrific injuries," Padma pointed out with real excitement. "Most of the players compete at the World Cup only once in their lives, so they tend to ignore the safety rules."

The one thing Harry was genuinely looking forward to was the Veela and their dancing performance. Right from the beginning Madam Pomfrey and the other healers who examined him had noticed how similar Harry's influence over women was to the Veela's influence over men. Despite these shared abilities, neither Pomfrey nor anyone else had ever been able to find a solid connection between him and the silver-haired beauties.

"Do you think we could invite a few Veela back to our tent after the match is over?"

The others began laughing at his suggestion. "That's the best idea you have had in months. The more the merrier," Black declared.

Amelia was also studying him very closely as they finally reached the Malfoy box. "I think inviting several of them to our party would be an excellent idea. I'm interested in seeing how they react to your unique... presence."

The Quidditch match itself was a bit of a disappointment. For years Harry had wanted nothing more than to fly on a broomstick like a true wizard, but the damn pieces of wood never responded to his crippled magic. Now that he really could fly he looked at the players moving around the stadium with disdain. They were all so clumsy and slow. In his opinion what they did on their silly broomsticks was barely flying at all.

"I don't understand, why did the Bulgarian seeker catch the Golden Snitch if his team was losing the match by more than one and fifty points?" Hermione asked as the group returned to their tent after the match.

"Viktor Krum knew that his chasers could never outscore their more-talented Irish counterparts, and that the Irish lead was only going to grow larger and larger. By ended the match so quickly he allowed the Bulgarians to save face," Lupin explained as he walked with his arm around a smiling Tonks.

In honor of the Irish victory Sirius brought out a case of twenty year-old Firewhiskey that he found in the basement of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. (He also had several cases of Vratsa Vodka on ice if the Bulgarians had pulled-off an upset.) Harry was more than happy to start drinking since his godfather had been ignoring him all night, but he was afraid that Hermione might object. He loved the witch, but she could be such a wet blanket at times.

Luckily his little bookworm didn't hesitate when Sirius offered her a shot. "This is Firewhiskey—alcohol created by magic and infused with actually fire! Of course I want to try it," Hermione explained.

Things at the party were going well until the Veela arrived. It was clear to Harry from the start that they were all conceited... witches who thought that their ethereal beauty entitled them to anything they wanted. A pair of them quickly zeroed in on the famous Boy-Who-Lived. They completely ignored the three witches standing at his side, while rudely demanding to see his Animagus form.

"Piss off," Harry told them. He despised bullies and snobs, and these two were both. Plus he was already a little drunk.

"How dare you?" the younger Veela hissed, but the older one grabbed her arm. They shared a look, and then the whole atmosphere in the tent suddenly changed. So this was their famous Allure. The two Veela didn't alter their physical appearance, but somehow they became even more beautiful and radiant to all the wizards (and more than a few of the witches) in the tent.

All the wizards expect for one. "Your carnival tricks aren't going to work on me. Now go away before my friend Su here decides to give you both a spanking. And she can, since I doubt either of you bimbos know anything about dueling."

Harry's rejection seemed to send a subliminal signal all the Veela present at the party, and they converged on him as if by instinct. That wasn't surprising, since according to legend they were descended from predatory birds. In just a few seconds they managed to surround him and his three broodmares.

"I think that calling them bimbos was a mistake," Padma whispered as she nervously fondled her wand.

"Now you will show us this black unicorn of yours," one of the Veela demanded as the magical light of their collective Allure began to engulf the interior of the massive tent.

"Alright, I have had enough of your crap," Harry snarled as he sent his own Charisma surging into them. "You may not know it, but two can play at this game."

This turned out to be a bad idea on his part. A very bad idea. When his Charisma entered the Veela their Allure... changed? Transformed? Mutated? Even worse, it kept growing stronger. It was like Harry was turning the Veela into magical transmitters, and they were broadcasting this strange new Charisma/Allure hybrid in every direction. In less than a minute the entire tent was supersaturated with the stuff.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Su whispered as she looked around. Everyone present was either kissing or taking off their clothes—or doing both at the same time. Even the elderly wizards and witches were going at it like teenagers.

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Well, whatever **it** is, stop doing **it**."

"Don't you think I'm trying? I can't stop **it**. My magic and the magic of all these bloody Veela are now connected in some way, and they are refusing to let go."

As things around them got progressively more pornographic, Harry and Su tried to figure out a way to severe the connection, but nothing they tried worked. Hermione and Padma weren't any help, since they were now snogging each other. All the adults were... busy, so they were useless too.

"I guess we're going to have to wait until you're exhausted," Su finally said. "Maybe that will cause this field to collapse."

"Or maybe it will kill me," Harry muttered. "My magical stamina has increased a lot over the years, so your plan may take a few hours to work—if it works at all."

"There is something we can do to speed up the process."

"You want to do **that** in the middle of this crowd?"

Su glared at him as she started to unbuttoned his trousers. "This magic is making me horny. Really horny, so why not? It's not like the others will notice what we are going."

That was certainly true. The other couples (and groups) were off in their own little worlds. Harry was glad someone managed to seal the entrance to the tent, because during the long night that followed no one was in their right state of mind. Hopefully what happens at the World Cup would stay at the World Cup.

* * *

By the next morning the magical field Harry and Veela spontaneously created had dissipated_. _The party-goers finally ventured outside, and discovered that the Death Eaters had attacked during the night. (They had been too preoccupied to notice as it was happening.) All the mortified diplomats and VIPs who had spent the night under the influence of the Charisma/Allure quickly disappeared. Only the Veela lingered, but just long enough to glance at the Boy-Who-Lived before they too made their escape by Portkey.

"I don't understand why they would attack the World Cup when there was so much security here?" an embarrassed Lupin asked. He and Tonks had put on quite a show last night, and Harry would never again question why his fellow Metamorphmagus was so smitten with the older werewolf.

"The Death Eaters wanted to a send a message to the world that they have returned," Amelia replied. "They also knew that Fudge would be here to personally take command of the Aurors, and they were hoping that he would panic. Which of course the idiot did."

Amelia wasn't embarrassed in the least, but then she and Angelina had given an award-worthy performance. In fact they were so impressive they inspired Hermione and Padma to follow their example. Su had been sure something like that was going to happen given the way the two watched each other in the shower, but she had no interest in joining them.

"_You are the only wizard or witch I will ever want_," Su had whispered to him in the middle of that magically-induced orgy.

"This whole thing sinks of Voldemort," a happy Black remarked. Harry's godfather had already asked him when the **next** party was scheduled. "He's the only one of those bastards with the brains and the balls to organize an attack of this size."

"I agree," Amelia said as she surveyed the damage. "We must assume that Voldemort is in command of his Death Eaters once again, and that he will soon be returning to the United Kingdom—if he isn't here already. It looks like our time has finally run out."

* * *

"And the Hogwarts Champion is Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called out as the third and last name emerged from the Goblet of Fire.

And Harry's year had gone so well up until this point. With Hermione and Luna's help he had finally gotten the hang of Arithmancy. That Veela witch from Beauxbatons had been trying to corner him since she arrived at Hogwarts, but being a full Metamorphmagus with an Invisibility Cloak made evading her a simple task. Then the Triwizard Tournament had to happen. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Voldemort's opening move, since there was no way he would put his own name in the bloody Goblet of bloody Fire.

"Su, get a message to Amelia and Andromeda," Harry hissed as he stood up. The witches in the Great Hall were all cheering for him, but none of the wizards were. A few even looked like they were getting ready to kill him. He glanced over at his sweet Luna, and saw that she was already crying. "Use the enchanted mirrors, and be quick about it."

When he reached the antechamber behind the High Table a loud argument between the adults was already in progress.

"Albus, this is outrageous!" the Durmstrang Headmaster Igor Karkaroff bellowed. Harry couldn't help but notice his disgusting teeth. "The boy is only fourteen, and your Age Line was supposed to keep anyone younger than seventeen out of the Tournament as we agreed beforehand."

"What are you complaining about Karkaroff?" Snape calmly asked. Becoming a father had taken many of the sharp edges off the Potions Master's personality, much to Harry's surprise. "Potter is a squib, so he will pose no threat to your Champion."

"I am perfectly aware of that Severus. My concern is that when Viktor wins the Tournament—which he will—his glorious victory will be tainted by Potter's participation. I demand that the Goblet chose a proper Champion for Hogwarts."

"Igor, stop being such an arrogant fool," Headmistress Maxime snapped as she stood guard over her champion. The Veela was staring at him again, and it made Harry's skin crawl. But then even **thinking** about the Veela made his skin crawl. "The decision of the Goblet of Fire is final, and it can not be change without placing the lives of the current Champions at risk. If any harm comes to Miss Delacour you will answer to the French government and to her family. And after they are done, you will answer to me personally—if you are still alive."

The shouting went on in this vein for almost an hour. Dumbledore calmly ignored everyone, and when pressed directly would only state that the Goblet of Fire had created a magically binding contract with the three Champions. Harry and the others had to compete, or they would lose his magic. Maybe even their lives. The Headmaster didn't sound particularly concerned about that prospect.

"I didn't enter my name in the Goblet," Harry complained after Karkaroff insulted him yet again. "And I will voluntarily take Veritaserum and testify to that fact in front of the Aurors."

"As Mr Potter's legal guardian I will allow him to make that choice, even if he is underage," Andromeda Tonks said as she entered the room with Amelia and Black. It certainly took them long enough to get here.

"I need to speak to Mr Potter and his friends alone. Igor and Maxime, would you and your students please give us some privacy?" Dumbledore said in a cool voice that quickly cleared the room. After the others were gone he drew his wand in a flash and stunned the new DADA professor, Mad-Eye Moody.

"Albus, what in the name of Merlin is going on here?" Amelia demanded as she drew her own wand.

"I'm afraid that is not Alastor Moody. It is Barty Crouch Junior."

"That's impossible. Barty died in Azkaban several years ago," Black told them. "I was there when it happened. The Death Eaters even gave him an unofficial funeral out of respect."

"Young Barty was taken away from Azkaban by his father just after his mother's death, and he was kept prisoner at his family's Manor. Last spring he managed to escape, and after a short search he found Voldemort," Dumbledore explained. "Barty was ordered by his Master to replace Alastor Moody as part of a plot to enter Mr Potter in the Triwizard Tournament. I discovered the switch just a few hours after he entered Hogwarts on the first of September, but allowed him to continue with his plans. He is the one who sabotage the Goblet of Fire with a simple Confundous Charm."

"If you knew that he was an imposter, than why did you allow him to enter Harry into the Tournament?" Black asked. He didn't like his godson that much, but he liked the Headmaster even less for allowing him to rot in Azkaban for over a decade.

"That should be obvious: I am using Mr Potter as bait. Once the public learns that Voldemort was defeated by a wizard who can barely use a wand, he will be forced to kill the Boy-Who-Lived as soon as possible in order to maintain his reputation as a powerful Dark Lord. When Voldemort attacks he will be walking into a trap of my design. This is the only way we can hope to defeat him," Dumbledore told them.

"You could have asked for my permission first," Harry said through clenched teeth.

"Mr Potter, I do not need your permission to do anything," Dumbledore replied coldly. "This whole discussion is irrelevant. The Goblet of Fire will force the boy to compete no matter what any of you do. If he takes Veritaserum it will only allow Voldemort to discover our plans prematurely."

"I'm so sorry Harry, but he's right," Amelia said. "The Goblet is kept under the control of the International Confederation of Wizards precisely because it is such a dangerous artifact. It will strip you of your magic if you try to back out of the Tournament."

"Fine," Harry snarled. He had heard of enough of this political garbage, so marched from the room only to find Fleur Delacour was waiting for him outside.

"Harry Potter, I **must** speak with you. I have information of vital importance to share with you."

"Go to Ravenclaw Tower and ask for Su Li," Harry snapped. "She will arrange a meeting. Now get the hell out of my way!"

As he walked to nearest exit from the castle, Harry put his Invisibility Cloak on and used his Metamorphmagus abilities to change his face just to be on the safe side. Once outside he made a quick jump to the Shrieking Shack. There he had hidden a heavy overcoat, a helmet, and a pair of Quidditch goggles. He learned the hard way about the dangers of flying without the necessary protective equipment, and the experience almost killed him.

When he was properly dressed Harry took to the sky, and headed north at pace that would have left even the newest Firebolt broom in the dust. Finding Azkaban took some work, but in less than an hour he reached his destination. There were massive wards around the island to block all forms of magical transportation, but Harry passed right through them on his way to his target.

Malfoy had shocked them all by lasting over five months here at Azkaban. According to Tonks it had taken a harsh toll on the Slytherin: he was now nothing but skin-and-bones, and there were dark circles under his eyes. But no matter how bad things got, he still refused to take their offer of an early release. When Voldemort returned Malfoy would rush to his Master's side, and he would offer him a Vault full of galleons.

Harry wasn't going to let that happen. He could simply want until Su's powerful family killed Malfoy, but that would mean putting his boss mare at risk. No, he would do the deed himself. Albus Dumbledore might see him as nothing more than a squib to be used as bait, but the senile fool was wrong. And by the time Harry was done the whole magical world was going to know it.

Getting the attention of the Dementors was child's play. They flew even slower than Quidditch players, and they had no way of defending themselves against his Charisma. After listening to their screams for a few minutes he told them what he wanted.

"Kiss the wizard called Draco Malfoy. Rip his soul out."


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Su and the others levitated an unconscious Fleur Delacour into the Come and Go Room with a hood over her head, her hands bound by transfigured manacles, and without her wand. The Beauxbatons champion had accepted these preconditions without argument, and that made Harry nervous. What reason could she have for placing herself in such a defenseless position?

"Secure her manacles to the chair, remove that hood, and then wake her up," Harry told Padma.

Su and Hermione stood to the right and left of their guest with her wands at the ready. Luna—whose identity Harry still wanted to keep a secret—was by his side under an Invisibility Cloak. Using his Charisma on a Veela was out of the question after the fiasco at the Quidditch World Cup, but luckily he had studied the magic of the Come and Go Room for over two years. If Fleur tried anything, he had a few surprises waiting for her.

"You told us you had to speak to Potter," Su said as the Veela's blue eyes slowly opened. "So speak."

"My Lord Dionysus, I bring you word from the Veela Enclave that a host of your faithful Maenads eagerly await your divine command," Fleur said without preamble.

Harry looked at each of his four witches in turn, including the invisible one. Padma was just as mystified as he was, while Su's face was a complete blank. (That meant she was either confused or angry—probably both.) Luna giggled. Hermione on the other hand was almost jumping up and down with excitement, and he gave her a small nod to begin the interrogation.

"Miss Delacour, are you honestly trying to tell us that you believe my friend Harry Potter is the Greek god of wine? That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in my entire life. I can see now why Hogwarts is considered superior to the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic if **you** are the best student they have."

These condescending remarks infuriated Fleur. "If I had my wand little girl I would teach you…"

"Answer her question!" Harry thundered. If she was going to call him a god he might as well act the part. At least for now.

"Please forgive me My Lord, but this ignorant girl commits sacrilege. You are the great god Dionysus reborn, and all those who deny this truth shall face the wrath of the Veela."

"Do you have any proof for this claim, or are we just supposed to take your word for it?" Padma asked.

"How can you deny it when you have been driven mad by his divine Ecstasy?" Fleur asked in turn.

"My divine **Ecstasy**? I like the sound of that."

Su rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

Fleur shot the Chinese witch a nasty look before continuing. "The Veela Elders have thoroughly studied the Pensieve memories of the events which took place after the Quidditch World Cup, and I have seen them as well. You were all there when his divine Ecstasy overwhelmed a gathering which included over a hundred powerful witches and wizards. Who but the great god himself could have accomplished such a feat? Who else could process such supernatural beauty?"

"For future reference I'm supernaturally handsome, not supernaturally beautiful."

"You should also know that your god can spout a supernatural amount of bull-shite," Su added.

"Don't you mean unicorn-shite?" Padma asked.

Luna started giggling again.

"Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Hermione snapped. "So Miss Delacour, that happened to the original Dionysus? If he was really a god, then why would he need to be reborn as an English wizard in nineteen-eighty?"

"Stop," Padma said abruptly. "Those questions are important, but her answers with be meaningless to us if we don't have the relevant context first. So please Miss Delacour, why don't you tell us this incredible story from what you see as its beginning."

"Do you know anything about my Lord and his origins?" Fleur asked.

"Dionysus was the Greek and later the Roman god of wine, wine-making, the grape harvest, and the theater," Hermione lectured. "The king of the gods Zeus made love to yet another mortal woman—this time it was Semele, if I remember correctly."

"You always do," Padma said.

"The queen of the gods Hera was rather upset with her husband's adultery, so she tricked the pregnant Semele into asking to see Zeus in his true divine form. The sight of an actual god killed the poor mortal woman instantly. Zeus took Dionysus out of his dead mother's womb, and—this is the disgusting part—sewed the premature fetus into his testicles to keep him alive. A few months later Dionysus was born a second time. Or twice-born, as the Greeks called it."

"Sweet Merlin," Harry moaned as he crossed his legs. "That sounds painful."

Hermione continue with her flippant lecture for a few more minutes as Fleur grew more and more angry. Apparently Dionysus was the god behind King Midas and his fabled golden touch. He also rescued his dead mother from Hades, and took her to Mount Olympus where she become a goddess. His cult inspired not only the development of early Greek theater, but also the insane philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.

"Where do the Maenads—as she called the Veela—fit into this crazy story?" Padma asked.

"They were the priestess of Dionysus' cult. According to legend they would dance and drink wine until they lost all control. They would then hunt down animals, ripped them apart with their bare hands, and consume the raw meat. They also engaged in uncontrolled sexual behavior while they were under the influence of their god."

Everyone turned to Fleur, who had a huge smile on her face. "Does that not sound familiar, my Lord?"

"She can't be right," Hermione argued. "The Veela originated in Slavic mythology, which means that..."

"You are such an ignorant child," Fleur snapped. "The Slavs didn't reach Europe until the fourth century AD. The Veela were created by our Lord Dionysus **four **thousand years ago in Asia Minor. For two thousand years we acted as intermediaries between him and his followers. Our influence spread to Greece and later to Rome, where our Lord was worshiped under the name of Bacchus. Our power and influence grew so strong that the muggle Senate of Rome even outlawed our Bacchanalia in one-hundred and eighty BC."

"So what change in the first century AD?" Padma asked.

"Our Lord vanished under mysterious circumstances, but not before telling his faithful Maenads that he would one day return. Without his divine guidance our influence began to wane. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire the Cult of Dionysus was all but destroyed, and the Maenad were forced into hiding. In the current age we took the name of Veela, and we have been reduced to little more than common whores. But now you have finally returned to us, and under your divine leadership we shall regain our former greatness."

"Do you know Occlumency?" Harry asked after a long silence.

"Yes my Lord, as do all of your faithful servants," Fleur replied.

"I want you to open your mind to me. Hold nothing back." Harry then preformed the most intense Legilimency scan he had ever attempted on another person. When he was done he signaled for Su to silently stun the French witch again. "She believes everything she's telling us is the truth. All of it. What do you four think?"

"I think she and the rest of those bird-brained bimbos are crazy," Su replied, as Luna took-off her Invisibility Cloak and sat down on Harry's lap. "You're a lot of things Potter, but a god isn't one of them. Dionysus and the Greek pantheon are simply myths created by the muggles."

"Not necessarily," Padma said. "Consider this scenario: what if this Dionysus and the other Greek gods weren't really god at all, but instead very powerful wizards and witches. Perhaps this Dionysus was just a wizard with powers similar to Harry's. We know from the example of Nicholas Flamel that a wizard can live several hundred years, and breeding new forms of magical creatures is something we still do today. Perhaps Dionysus created the Veela to enhance his powers. He would control his female followers, while they controlled the males. It would have made this cult of his very popular."

"Yes, but producing something as complex as a Veela would have been a lot more difficult than breeding a Kneazle," Hermione said. "I don't think that wizards in the ancient world knew anything about DNA or genetic engineering."

"This Dionysus didn't need to know about DNA," Padma argued. "It takes just thirteen years to produce a new generation of witches. I wager that by combining beautiful witches, certain magical creatures, and a number of complex blood rituals you could create something like a Veela in less than a hundred years."

"Yes, but only if you were willing to tolerate a terrible number of deaths as a result of your errors. You can't experiment with human beings like that—it is moral wrong," Hermione huffed. "There is an important book called _Frankenstein_ by Mary Shelley that you're going to read before I let you back in my bed."

"That's an idle threat, and we both know it," a smirking Padma said.

"Luna, what do you think?" Harry asked as he tried not to picture what Hermione and Padma did in bed together. "You know more about magical creatures than the rest of us put together."

"In the hands of an ambitious wizard or witch, magic can create almost anything. I think it's possible that the Veela were created to serve a wizard—a wizard who was much like you. They claim to have served this Dionysus once, so there is no reason they can't serve you now. I think it would make them very happy."

"My thoughts exactly. Now put your Indivisibility Cloak back on," Harry told his youngest broodmare as he pitched her bottom. That earned him more giggles. "Su, wake our guest up again."

"Please my Lord, you must trust me," Fleur cried when she regained consciousness. "I would never do anything to harm you."

"Are you a virgin?"

Fleur looked embarrassed, but she answered his question. "Yes, my Lord. I'm still a virgin."

"Good. Send word to the Veela Enclave, and tell them I need eight more virgins here at Hogwarts by this weekend. Tell your Elders that I will also need a fresh liter of dragon, troll, and giant blood. Tell them that if the Veela fail me in the slightest way I will be most displeased. Now go."

After Fleur had left, three of the witches in the Room turned on him with looks of outrage on their faces. Hermione went first. "Harry Potter, if you are considering doing what I think you are..."

"Shut up!" he yelled without warning. "You weren't there when Dumbledore told me that I was nothing more than a piece of bait for his trap. If the Triwizard Tournament doesn't kill me first, then the old bastard is going to let Voldemort do the honors, and there is nothing any of you can do to stop them. If I want to live to see my fifteenth birthday, I will need every advantage I can get. Performing your ritual once was enough to increase the magically resistant properties of my skin, so performing it three more times just might give me an edge in the Tournament and against Voldemort."

"Harry, we have no idea if the blood ritual we used on the Hogwarts Express will work again," Padma said as she tried to comfort Hermione, who was still shaking after his furious outburst.

"I know it will, since Luna and I checked the Arithmancy calculations several times last night. It seems that the number twelve has powerful magical properties."

Su still had her wand out, which was never a good sign. "So you were planning to perform the ritual before the First Task. If the Veela don't come along, then who were you going to ask?"

"Luna, and a few others whose names I will not give you. I know how you treat potential rivals."

"What happens when the Veela find out that you really aren't this Dionysus reborn?" Su asked. "This scam of yours is going to make them angry, and an angry Veela is something I was always taught to avoid."

"I will worry about that later if I'm still alive. First I have to get through the Triwizard Tournament in one piece."

* * *

The next day Fleur informed them that the Veela Elders had agreed to his demands, and that a delegation was coming to Hogwarts. Harry suggested that they pitch a camp in the Forbidden Forest, which he now considered the personal domain of the Lord of the Unicorns.

Harry was expecting the Veela to have a tent like the one the late Malfoy family owned, but instead they brought a collapsible star-shaped fort made out of rune-covered metal plates. According to Su it was called a _Trace Italienne_. Hermione might be a walking textbook when it came to Greek mythology, but his boss mare was an expert on magical warfare. Bane and the other centaurs warriors were not happy about this sudden invasion, so he ordered the Veela to place their fort on the site of the former Acromantula colony.

Over the past few days Harry had talked with Hermione about his "former life" as Dionysus. According to the ancient legends the god of wine had been educated by the centaurs, so he was playing up his own association with Bane and the others to impress the Veela. He also learned that Dionysus had been somewhat androgynous in appearance, so he used his Metamorphmagus abilities to grow his hair down past his shoulders.

As a result these preparations, his first meeting with the Veela Elders went a bit too well. All Harry's life women had liked or even loved him, but no one had ever worshiped him before. Not even the Boy-Who-Lived was treated with such awe and deference as the Veela were showing him. Well, most of them anyway.

"Your fort has some powerful protective runes," Harry pointed out to Apolline Delacour. "Don't you trust my friends the centaurs?"

To the magical world Fleur's mother was simply the housewife of a powerful official in the magical French government. To the Veela Apolline was their Strategos—the supreme commander of all their military forces, which were surprisingly substantial. The Delacours lived in southern France, while the Veela Enclave was located high in the Pyrenees mountains. This relatively short commute allowed Apolline to keep her status as the Strategos a secret, even from her poor husband.

"We have learned from bitter experience that we can never be too careful when guarding our young. Deflowering a Veela virgin is a common fantasy for many depraved wizards," Apolline replied with open hostility.

According to Fleur her mother was over fifty years old, but she was still attractive. Too attractive and too powerful. Harry wished he had brought along some more reinforcements. Hermione and Padma were going over the details of the upcoming ritual with several Veela scholars, but that was it.

Su had stayed back at the castle. She was probably busy castrating a few hundred Potter practice dummies in the Come and Go Room. Luna didn't have to take part in the ritual thanks to the Veela—a fact which made her very unhappy. She was currently sitting in detention under Professor McGonagall's watchful eye, something Harry arranged for her own good.

"You don't actually believe that I'm Dionysus, do you?"

"I can't deny the fact that you have powers which are similar to those of our ancient progenitor, but are you Dionysus reborn? That I refuse to believe," Apolline told him. "Unfortunately the Elders do believe in you, and I have sworn to obey their commands. That means there is nothing I can do to prevent this barbaric nonsense, which will include my first-born daughter."

"Fleur had the opportunity to back, but she didn't take it," Harry replied. Over two dozen Veela quickly volunteered when they heard about his request, a fact which eased his troubled conscience to a degree. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the ritual, but the real reason I'm going through with this is because the Dark Lord Voldemort has returned. You have my word that once he is finally dead nothing like this will ever happen again."

Apolline was studying him closely, and Harry could feel the witch's powerful magic as she judged him. "Fair enough... my Lord. We are almost ready to begin."

Despite being fourteen, the ritual still took all of Friday night and most of the next day for Harry to complete. The Veela volunteers were the same age as Fleur or slightly older, and they were all stunningly beautiful. Still, he often found himself thinking of Su. Logically she accepted the need for the ritual, but emotionally she still wanted to murder him and all nine of the Veela.

On Sunday everyone took turns testing Harry's new skin. While there was a noticeable improvement, it was also clear that they had reached the point of diminishing returns. Hermione theorized that his skin was now as magically resistant as a dragon's hide, but it was simply impossible to improve upon that. Hopefully it would be enough.

* * *

"Dragons?"

"Yes, dragons," Bane told him. "Three of the most magnificent magical beings in the entire world have been chained and thrown inside of metal cages. All for this foolish contest you wizards are having at Hogwarts. It is an outrage!"

Harry knew that the centaurs disliked wizards at the best of times, and the last thing he wanted to do was fight a bloody dragon. That gave him an idea. "I totally agree with you Bane, and I think it is our solemn duty to free these poor dragons from their current bondage."

"Magorian will never allow me to lead a war charge against your kind," Bane pointed out. "Even if their cruelty does deserve the most brutal of responses."

"All I will need from you and your warriors is distraction at the right moment. If you create enough noise during the night some of their guards will be forced to investigate, and that will allow me to move in," Harry said. "Just give a few days to work out the details."

Dealing with those details proved to be more difficult than he had originally hoped. An aerial reconnaissance showed that the locks used to secure the dragons were not opened by keys, but rather by the wands of the individual dragon keepers. To free the terrifying monsters would require stealing one of those wands.

"You want one of my warriors to do what?" Apolline hissed when Harry approached her the next day.

While most of the Veela Elders had returned to their Enclave, the Strategos and a dozen of her Veela warriors had remained behind in the Forbidden Forest. Harry wasn't sure why, but he hoped it had something to do with her daughter Fleur and not him.

"The specific term use by MI-5 and MI-6 is a "honey pot". I followed a few of the dragon keepers last night, and they went to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade for drinks. I figure at least a few of them do it every night, so I want one of your Veela to lure a wizard up to a private room, and then stun him so I can borrow his wand. I will only need her to cover for me for about twenty minutes."

"Most wizards are lucky to last two minutes when they bed a Veela," Apolline growled.

"I said stun the dragon keeper, not bed him."

"I was referring to the Memory Charm we'll use afterwards. Your plan might work, but it will be placing one my warriors at great risk."

"And letting the dragons stay here for the Triwizard Tournament will be placing both your precious daughter **and** your Lord Dionysus at even greater risk," was Harry's retort.

"You do realize that they will simply find another dangerous magical creäture for the Champions to face during the First Task."

"Anything is better than facing a nesting dragon," Harry replied, and Apolline was forced to agree with him.

* * *

That night Su joined him while they waited on the roof of the Three Broomsticks. Harry needed someone powerful but lightweight who could use the stolen wand to open the three locks. Once again he cursed Dumbledore for permanently crippling his magical core by creating those blood wards after Voldemort's downfall. After all these years he could still barely use a wand to focus his magic.

"Did you enjoy it?" Su asked in a quiet voice.

Harry knew exactly what she was talking about. "This really isn't the time to be having this discussion."

"I will take that as a yes. Despite my better judgment I like that arrogant witch Delacour, so I will put up with her. But one Veela is all you get."

"What are you talking about? Fleur has no interest in me, nor do any of the other Veela. To them I'm some sort of savior or messiah, not a future boyfriend or husband. Besides I caught Fleur flirting with Professor Weasley the other day, so you don't have to worry about her."

That information earned him the first smile he had gotten from Su in over a week. "That's good to hear."

A few minutes later the Veela opened the window and handed them the dragon keeper's wand. Harry wrapped them both in his Invisibility Cloak, and took off. He silently thanked Merlin that Su was so petite. Flying with her extra weight was difficult, but not impossible. One witch was definitely his limit though.

When she first heard about the plan, Su had spent her mother an owl asking for some magical fireworks that the Li family imported from China. At exactly midnight Black, Lupin, and Tonks set those fireworks off all around the site where the dragons were being kept. At the same time Bane and the centaurs came running through the Forest, making as much noise as they possible could.

The dragon keepers—who weren't trained, or being paid enough for this sort of thing—gathered around their dragons, hoping to protect them from whatever threat was out there. While they were all facing out towards the Forbidden Forest, Harry and Su landed silently behind them.

The dragons were already making so much noise no one noticed when their cages opened. With their job complete, the two draconic liberators flew to Hogsmeade to return the dragon keeper's wand, and then headed back to Hogwarts. From the roof of Ravenclaw Tower they watched the chaos as dozens of broom-riding Aurors fresh from the Ministry of Magic joined the dragon keepers in a futile attempt to corral the escaping dragons back into their cages.

"With all the Stunners and dragon fire lighting up the night sky, Rita is going to get an excellent photo for tomorrow's _Daily Prophet_," Harry remarked.

"Potter, why do you put up with me?" Su asked as they watched the epic light show.

"Are you kidding? I asked you to free three dangerous dragons from their cages, and you didn't hesitate. Not even for a second. You have a bigger set of _cojones_ than all the Gryffindors put together. Plus you asked your mum to send us some illegal fireworks just to make my crazy plan work better."

"She loves sticking it to you limeys almost as much as I do."

Harry wrapped his arm around Su and gently kissed the top of head. "As long as you want the job, you'll always be my boss mare."


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

It was the Sunday before the First Task, and Harry was a nervous wreck. Despite the best efforts of his allies, he hadn't been able to learn which magical creäture was being used as a substitute for the dragons. So far the only positive result of their jailbreak was all the negative publicity that Dumbledore received in the _Daily Prophet_ for allowing three dragons anywhere near a school full of children.

Since there was an excellent chance he would be severely injured during the First Task, Harry felt he needed to introduce Black, Lupin, Tonks, Amelia, and Angelina to his new allies—the Veela. If the worst happened, they might have to work together without him. But before venturing out into the Forbidden Forest, he gathered the non-Veela at the Shrieking Shack and informed them that he was now... well, sort of a god. This news required Harry to tell everyone about his Charisma. (Or his divine Ecstasy, as Fleur called it. The new name was growing on him.) His godfather was having a little trouble with some of the details of his story.

"Nine Veela?" Black asked. Again. "This is all a prank, right?"

"I wish it was a bloody prank," Su muttered.

"And they were all virgins?"

"Padfoot, we have more important things to discuss," Lupin snapped.

"Moony, what could be more important than the fact that Prongs' fourteen year-old son shagged nine Veela virgins? In a single weekend? That's got to be a record. Hell, I don't think **Merlin** shagged nine Veela virgins in his entire life, let alone in one weekend."

"Let's focus here! The boy is constantly using a wandless version of the Imperius Curse on half the witches in the United Kingdom. In case you've forgotten, the use of an Unforgivable Curse earns you a trip to Azkaban."

"Wait a second," Harry protested. "My Charisma is not the same thing as the Imperius Curse. Not at all."

"It sounds pretty similar to me, and I'm sure the Aurors would feel the same way," Lupin argued. "Don't you agree, Amelia?"

The former Head of the DLME had been sitting on a transfigured sofa and polishing her famous monocle as the three wizards argued. She seemed rather subdued today. "You were there at the Quidditch World Cup—you know what the sensation feels like. They boy can't make a person do anything he or she doesn't already want to do. He lowers your inhibitions, which is not the same thing as controlling you. It's a subtle distinction, but a distinction nonetheless."

"It's kind of like drinking an entire bottle of Firewhiskey in just a few seconds," Tonks added.

Lupin's eyes narrowed and his face turned a hellish red color. "And how exactly would you know?"

"Don't look at me that way. I never touched him!"

The werewolf actually growled like an animal. That's when Angelina came up behind her subordinate and jabbed him in the kidneys. The painful blow dropped Lupin to his knees. "We're not here to start fights. We're here to find more allies for the packs. Calm down, or next time I will put you on the ground for good."

Tonks rushed to her boyfriend's side. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just didn't realize what kind of witch you were," Lupin said as he brushed off her help.

"I just teaching Harry about being a Metamorphmagus, and one thing lead to another," Tonks said as tears began falling down her face. "Like I said, I never touched him."

"The boy does like to watch," Amelia commented. "He spent an entire summer spying on Lucius Malfoy and Bianca Zabini while they were having an affair."

Black ignored his best friend's emotional turmoil. He had other concerns. "You actually saw Bianca Zabini naked too? She was one of the most beautiful witches in Europe."

Harry briefly explained how he had engineered an affair between Lucius and Bianca to secure a divorce between the unhappy Malfoys. "I was doing that for Cissy and Amelia, not for my own pleasure."

"Destroying pureblood marriages, killing basilisks and werewolves, freeing dragons, and now you're pretending to be a Greek god. You and your three swots make the Marauders look like a bunch of losers."

That statement a chill down Harry's spine. On the surface it sounded like a complement, but he could sense they underlining hostility. How could they not hate him? He was a bloody teenager with a large and growing harem. Telling Black and Lupin about his Charisma had been a mistake, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

"The Veela came to me of their own free will. I didn't seek them out."

"Granger, tell them about the Wager," Su said as she took up a defensive position between her stallion and the other two wizards.

"Have any of you heard of Pascal's Wager?"

"Blaise Pascal was a French scientist and philosopher," Angelina said as she sat back down on the sofa next to Amelia. "He claimed that were is no way to definitively proof **or** disproof the existence of God, so it makes sense to act as if God does exit. If you are right you get into Heaven, but if you are wrong is doesn't matter because you're already dead."

"That is correct. Ten points to the werewolves."

Angelina's cold stare was so intimidating that Hermione kept backing away until she was safely behind Su and Padma.

"That is how I feel about this whole Dionysus business," Harry explained as he put a protective arm around his favorite bookworm. "There is no proof that I'm a Greek god, but there is no proof that I'm **not** a Greek god either. So if the Veela want to call me Dionysus, then what's the harm?"

"Harry's Wager," Black muttered. "It might actually work."

"No, it wouldn't. And it is only a matter of time until it blows up in the boy's face," Amelia remarked. "However with Voldemort's return we need more allies, so we might as well milked the situation for as long as we can."

* * *

The first meeting between the two sides out in the Forbidden Forest didn't go well. It was soon clear to Harry that the Veela disliked sharing him with outsiders—in fact they were almost as jealous as Su. To defuse some of the tension Amelia suggested a round-robin dueling competition. That sounded like a terrible idea to him, but Apolline quickly agreed.

"If those two were wolves, they would be fighting to the death right about now," Angelina whispered to Harry and his witches.

"They are both dominant personalities who are use to being in charge," Padma explained. "So they are attempting to deal with their mutual hostility in a socially acceptable way."

It still sounded like a terrible idea to Harry, but at least it was pleasant out here at the Veela's fort. Rather than suffer through the harsh Highland winter, Apolline and her people installed rune stones around the area which radiated warmth and light in the cold and gloomy Forest. The Veela also provided their guests with a fine selection of food and beverages. As Harry sipped a glass of 1982 Chateau Haut-Brion, he thought he could really come to love his new job as the god of wine.

"Tonks is still an emotional wreck," Su said an hour later as the watched the young Auror duel (badly) against one of the Veela warriors. "Someone should put an end to this before she gets hurt."

"If I interfered on her behalf it would only piss Lupin off even more," Harry whispered.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you and the meta-slut decided to become wanking buddies."

"She hadn't even met Lupin back then, and my Charisma was out of control. You do remember losing your virginity on the Hogwarts Empress, don't you?"

Hermione wisely decided to change the subject. "Look at how physically similar the Veela are to one another. I have to admit that you were right Padma. To have maintained this level of uniformity after four thousand years of breeding with outsiders does strongly suggest an artificial origin."

Since Harry was intimately familiar with bodies of nine Veela, he agreed that the amazing witches weren't some random accident of nature. Their coloring, their flawless figures, and even their mannerisms varied only slightly from one to the other. And now they all worshiped to him, but for how long? As Harry watched Tonks being punished, he realized the answer to that question might determine how long he stayed alive.

As expected, his fellow Metamorphmagus lost to the Veela. The outcomes of all the duels had been predictable up until now. Amelia and Apolline had both gone undefeated, and they were the only ones to have defeated both Fleur and Angelina. (Black was too busying flirting and Lupin was too busy sulking to duel very well.) The three Ravenclaws had lost all of their matches against the adults, expect for Su's one victory over a careless Veela who hadn't been taking her seriously enough.

"Alright you little frog, get your pretty arse up here so I can kick it back across the English Channel," Angelina said with her usual amount of bravado.

Fleur looked like she had a few choice obscenities she wanted to use, but she remained silent after a look from her mother. The werewolf queen had almost beaten Apolline by verbally taunting her during their duel. Angelina had no use for good manners or tradition when they got in the way of her winning a fight.

"I just read the official report on Draco Malfoy's death." Amelia said as she sat down beside him and cast a privacy ward. One look from the older witch was all it took to send his three Ravenclaws running. "I noticed several interesting facts. The rogue attack by the Dementors that killed Draco could not be explained, and the Aurors at Azkaban have seen this strange behavior from the dark creatures only two times. Once on the night when you first visited Draco to offer him a deal, and then again on the night the boy died—which was also the night you were chosen as a Champion for the Triwizard Tournament."

"Are you accusing me of something?" Harry asked as Fleur and Angelina began their duel.

"How did you get to Azkaban so quickly that night without a Portkey, and how did you manage to control the Dementors?"

"I know you felt that you owed it to Cissy's memory to protect her son, but there are more important things at sake. I offered Malfoy a way out Azkaban, and he threw it back in my face. Now that he's dead Tonks has inherited his fortune, and that places it beyond the reach of Voldemort."

"So you aren't denying that you murdered Draco?" Amelia asked.

Harry turned to look her right in the eyes. "No, I'm not. Malfoy informed me that the moment Voldemort returned he intended to take his father's place as the Dark Lord's top lieutenant. The little shite told me several times that he was looking forward to the day when muggle hunting was legal again here in the United Kingdom. He even had a detailed plan drawn-up for torturing Hermione and her family."

"He was just a stupid child," Amelia said defensively.

"He was a stupid child with a huge pile of galleons he was going to hand over to Voldemort," Harry snapped. "We all knew it had to be done, but I was the only one with the guts to do it. You're supposed to be our leader, so lead us!"

Meanwhile Fleur was dominating the duel, but Angelina didn't seem too concerned about it. She had a smile on her face, and was continuing to taunt the Triwizard Champion. After a few minutes her strategy became clear. While Fleur was tying to win the duel with magic, the werewolf had only been concerned with not losing it. Instead she had been closing the distance with the Veela, and when she was in position she sent a sharp kick right into Fleur's stomach. Angelina then seized her wand, and gave her another kick to the face.

"Now listen to me closely. If you or any of your blonde cousins ever look down your noses at me and my werewolves again, I will kill you."

"Enough!" Harry shouted. "Angelina, you are aware that you're surrounded by a group of furious Veela?"

In response the werewolf queen whistled, and two dozen members of her pack emerged from the surrounding Forest. "I sent them a message a while ago telling them how to bypass the wards around this place. I figured we might some reinforcements."

"Angelina, Amelia, and Apolline—I want to have a word with all three of you. Right now," Harry hissed as his Charisma entered the nearest Veela and blanketed the Forest with an overpowering sense of lust for a brief moment. Thanks to Fleur's help he had figured out how to break the connection whenever he wanted to. "Su, take Hermione and Padma back to Hogwarts before they start getting undressed."

Once the four of them were inside the Veela fort Apolline sealed the entrance behind them. The interior was stark and utilitarian, but also well-protected and full of supplies. "I have had enough of this werewolf. I refuse to have anymore dealings with her and the rest of her vermin."

"Are you giving your Lord Dionysus an order?" Harry asked.

"I have told you repeatedly that I don't believe in any of that superstitious nonsense," Apolline replied.

"Yes, but the Veela Elders do. And so does your daughter. If I told Fleur to attack you, what do you think she would do? Shall we ask her and find out?"

That was going too far. Apolline drew her wand, but Harry knew she was bluffing. "Ever since you arrived here in the United Kingdom you have belittled Hogwarts, the centaurs, the werewolves, and **me**. I've already sent an owl to your Enclave, and the Veela Elders informed me that as Lord Dionysus I may deal with your disobedience in any way I see fit. That would include your immediate execution, which is permissible under ancient Veela Law."

"It's about time someone put these French hags in their place," Angelina remarked.

Harry rounded on the taller werewolf. "Listen, **I** was the one who killed Greyback and allowed you to assume leadership of the packs. And it's my cousin Tonks who is currently bankrolling your government. If you ever cross me or my allies again I will remove you from your post, and find a new werewolf leader that I can trust."

"And in case you have forgotten Amelia, Voldemort is already back in the United Kingdom. While Dumbledore and I may be number one and two on his shite list, you're also marked for death along with Susan and the rest of your family. So get your head out of your arse, and stop bitching about Draco bloody Malfoy."

"As I have told you before, once Voldemort is dead we can go our separate ways," Harry continued. "But until then I need the Veela and the werewolves, so you are both going to help me whether you like it or not. Now the four of us are going to go out there, and pretend to be the best of friends for the sake of our new alliance."

No one was going to win any awards for their acting, but the Veela and werewolves soon followed the lead of their respective leaders and settled down. Harry was coming to believe that most problems could be solved with alcohol, so he encouraged everyone to get drunk. This plan worked well until the werewolves started asking the Veela questions about his status as the Lord Dionysus. Angelina was skeptical and demanded a demonstration of his so-called divine power.

"You have already seen my Lord's Ecstasy at Bacchanalia which took place after the Quidditch World Cup," Fleur pointed out.

"That party was a lot of fun, but it had nothing to do with Potter being there. There is no way he could force us all to lose control if we didn't want to," Angelina argued.

Harry buried his face in his hands. "You're going to regret this."

Everyone tried to hold on to their dignity for as long as possible, but it didn't matter. In five minutes Black was in the middle of a naked Veela dogpile, and Tonks was making up with Lupin in the best way imaginable. Apolline was surrounded by three handsome werewolves, a sight which sent a horrified Fleur fleeing back to Hogwarts. Meanwhile Amelia was busy with a nubile Veela, since Angelina was being stubborn arse.

"How do you feel?" Harry asked with genuine curiosity.

"Like I'm in heat," the werewolf snarled as she paced back and forth. "Are you really doing this to me?"

"Yeah, but don't feel too bad about your reaction. I've been praticing for three years, and since I've learned how to work with the Veela I've gotten much better."

"Does it affect you personally?"

"After all this time I honestly don't know."

Angelina stopped and looked at him. "Why not?"

Harry grinned. "I will let you in on my little secret: I'm always horny."

That's when she tackled him to the ground. He was going to protest, but then she started taking off her clothes. Angelina was a perfect mixture of hard muscles and soft curves. She also had a wonderful collection of knife scars.

"You know, I remember going to church as a little girl before I was infected, and it was nothing like this," she said a few minutes later.

"You're totally naked and trying to hammer me into the ground, so I don't find that hard to believe."

"If you really are this Dionysus, do you have any commandments carved in stone for your followers?" Angelina asked mockingly as she continued to ride him.

"I have just one," Harry answered once he got her left nipple out of his mouth. "If it harms none, do what you will."

"That doesn't sound too difficult to live with," Angelina admitted as she arched her back in a very appealing way. "Not even for a werewolf."

"It was for Fenrir Greyback when he was still alive, and it certainly was for Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the last war. All they ever did was harm others. Hopefully the average witch and wizard will see that our side is different."

* * *

"Potter!" Su hissed. Her voice was coming out of a tiny enchanted mirror earring he was wearing. Hermione came up with the idea after hearing Black talk about a pair of mirrors he shared with James Potter back during their school days. The earring allowed them to pass verbal messages over a short distance—plus it looked really cool. "They have just released the creatures, and they are definitely Quintapeds."

Luna, Hermione, and Padma had done a great deal of research into which magical creatures the Tournament organizers might use now that the dragons were out of the picture. Their guesses included a griffin, a manticore, or perhaps (Luna thought) an abominable snowman. Su argued that they would need something native to the British Isles given the short amount of time before the First Task, and she had been proven right.

The Quintapeds—which were also known as Hairy MacBoons—had originally been a clan of Scottish wizards who were transfigured into hideous monsters during a feud with another clan. They were now kept on an Unplottable island off the coast of Scotland less than a hundred kilometers from Hogwarts. Each one was covered with red fur, and their five legs didn't stop them from being fast and agile. The Quintapeds had huge mouths full of razor-sharp teeth, and a special taste for human flesh.

"Potter, these things don't use any spells to attack their victims, so your magically resistant skin is going to be useless. I think that flying is your only option," Su said as Viktor Krum entered the specially-built stadium to a round of deafening cheers.

"No, I **must** keep the fact that I can fly a secret for as long as possible. It's the only way I have to escape from any magical traps Voldemort might set for me."

"A whole classroom full of Slytherins and Ravenclaws saw you fly after me when I was pushed off the Astronomy Tower. Your secret ability isn't much of a secret," Su argued.

"Everyone thinks that was just a case of accidental magic, which is different from being able to outfly a Firebolt whenever I want to."

"Are you sure? These things are quick, and Krum's spells are barely slowing them down. You have to make it across the entire stadium to reach the sphere, and the terrain out here is too rocky for your Animagus form."

She was right: the bloody First Task was leaving him with no attractive options. According to Dumbledore and the other judges, the crystalline sphere they had to retrieve held a vital clue. Without that clue the Champions would never be able to complete the Second Task. Harry didn't care about the Triwizard Tournament, but his public image would take a beating if he just gave up without at least trying to win.

Su continued to give him a play-by-play on the performance of the other two Champions. Krum managed to kill five of the dozen Quintapeds he was facing, and he was only bitten three times as he traversed the stadium. Fleur was luckier, and she reached her sphere without any injuries at all.

As Harry walked out into the light he saw that the ground covering the stadium floor was even more rocky than he remembered from the night before. Su was right: this was terrible terrain for a horse, but a unicorn Animagus just might be able to manage it. Besides if things got too bad, he could always retreat to the air. With his decision made, Harry transformed into Blackie much to the delight of the crowd.

The first two Quintapeds wasted no time in attacking him, but as Blackie he was quick enough to avoid their charges. Using his horn as a saber he crippled several of the creatures' legs. Now that they were lame it was an easy to move in, and crush their bizarre skulls his hoofs. Rather than rush out into the stadium, he waited there at the relatively flat entrance for more of the monsters to attack. Blackie the Unicorn managed to finish off seven of them in this fashion, but the other five refused to come out from behind their rocky cover.

_OK, I guess I have to go in and risk an ambush_, Harry thought.

And an ambush is exactly what he got. A horse—or in this case a unicorn—has a greater field of vision than a human being, but that comes at the price of poor depth perception. The first Quintaped came leaping out from behind a boulder, and as Blackie he misjudged its flight path. The thing ended up on his back and took a deep bite. Harry managed to shake it off and then kill it, but the painful wound was already limiting his mobility. The next two Quintapeds were stupid enough to come out into the open and were easy targets, but that still left the last two between him and the crystalline sphere.

At this point the pain from the wound in his back was becoming unbearable, and he tried to use his Metamorphmagus abilities to stop the bleeding. Unfortunately while Harry was concentrating on healing himself another Quintaped struck, and latched on to his rear leg. This sent his unicorn form falling to the ground, and the final Quintaped moved in for the kill. At the last second Harry was able to shift his head just enough to spear the oncoming creäture with his horn. The wound was fatal, but Harry now had a corpse stuck to his horn and the other Quintaped was still biting into his leg. There was no alternative but to change back into his human form.

The rapid transformation confused his last foe, and he used its hesitation to pick up a rock. The injuries to his back and leg were literally killing him, which meant he could no longer fly. Harry knew he only had one chance to kill the Quintaped, so he raised the rock in the air and brought it down to the softest part of the thing's head. Once he was sure it was dead, he limped the short distance to the sphere and wrapped it in his arms before collapsing.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

When Harry finally woke up, he found himself lying face-down on a bed with his entire body immobilized by magic. Looking around he saw that the Hogwarts Infirmary was an armed camp. Black, Lupin, and the entire Tonks family were present, along with over a dozen Veela whose numbers included the female healer who was treating him. The entire Defense Club was also standing guard over by the door—even Pansy Parkinson. Su waved at him, but it looked like she didn't want to talk in front of the adults surrounding his sickbed.

"Harry Potter, what was the first thing I taught you during your training?" Tonks asked.

"That a Metamorphmagus should never attempt to alter their body while they are suffering from a serious injury," Harry dutifully replied.

"And what did you do out there during the First Task?"

"I attempted to alter my body while I was suffering from a serious injury. I was trying to stop myself from bleeding to death. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Well, it wasn't a good idea!" Tonks yelled. "Our abilities only work when our muscles and organs and bones are in their **proper** **places**. There are recorded instances of Metamorphmagi dying when their magic interacted negatively with their wounds. The Veela healer says there shouldn't be any permanent damage to your back, but since she can't risk using certain potions it will take some time for you to heal. I doubt you'll be able to dance with the members of your fan club at the Yule Ball."

"That's the best news I have gotten since my bloody name came out of the Goblet of Fire," Harry muttered.

"Mum, will you please try to talk some sense into this idiot."

Since Cissy's death, Andromeda Tonks had been Harry's legal guardian, and at the moment she didn't seem very happy about it. But then the last surviving Black sister never seemed happy these days. When Draco was killed by the Dementors her daughter inherited not only Malfoy's galleons, but also the Black family Wizengamot seat. Lucius had received the hereditary position as part of Cissy's dowry, but now it had returned to its rightful owners. Since Tonks was an Auror she didn't have the time to sit in the Wizengamot all day, and Andromeda was drafted to serve as her proxy. The older witch was now waist-deep in the cesspool of magical politics, much to her disgust.

"Harry, please excuse my daughter's rude behavior. She was very upset when you almost died. Nymphadora has this fantasy about producing a horde of little Metamorphmagi with you," Andromeda explained.

"Mum, you weren't suppose to say anything about that," an embarrassed Tonks whined as she glanced over at her current boyfriend. Lupin had a smile on his face, but it was clearly a fake smile.

"If we are done talking about Tonks' maternal fantasies can someone please tell me how the judges scored the First Task?" Harry asked.

"The lovely Fleur Delacour came in first and was awarded forty points, but what else do you expected from a Veela?" Black said as he winked at the Veela healer across the room. His godfather's style of flirting was over-the-top, but some (deluded) witches found it charming. "Viktor Krum came in second with twenty-eight points. You were last with only six points."

"Six points?" Harry said in a stunned voice. "I killed all twelve of the Quintapeds, and all I got was six lousy points?"

"You should have heard the crowd when they announced the results. The judges were booed for ten minutes," Black added. "You're almost as popular with the witches of Hogwarts as I was back in the day."

"I asked Dumbledore about your score, and he told me that reason you did so poorly was precisely because you killed all twelve Quintapeds," Lupin explained. "Miss Delacour was awarded the highest scores because she only used Stunners. Nor was she bitten like you and Mr Krum, which was also a factor in her favor."

"If they didn't want us to kill the savage man-eating monsters, then why didn't they tell us that before the First Task started?" Harry complained. His back was killing him, and lying face-down on the bed was already starting to annoy him. "I know my Ravenclaws have been studying that bloody sphere I almost _died_ retrieving. Have they figured out what it does yet?"

"It is an antique runic puzzle that young witches and wizards use to play with," Andromeda told him. "You manipulate the symbols on the surface of the sphere to solve the puzzle, and then you are done the interior opens up to reveal a hidden surprise. Sometimes you received candy or even galleons—anything which would motivate a young student to learn more about Ancient Runes."

"That is the only clue they gave us, or was there something else inside of it?" Harry asked in a slightly panicked voice. The First Task had been a surprise, and it had almost killed him. He had to be better prepared for the Second Task.

"No, the sphere was empty," Lupin said. "Miss Lovegood managed to solve the puzzle in less than thirty seconds, which is amazing for a third year. Your fellow Ravenclaws believe that you'll have to solve another rune puzzle at some point during the Second Task, and we all agree with that assessment."

"That don't sound too difficult, but there has to be more to it. The sphere is probably only the first part of the Task, and I will need whatever is inside of it to reach the end," Harry mused. It was difficult to see everyone from his current position, but they all looked embarrassed for some reason. "Is there something else that you guys aren't telling me?"

"Watch this," Tonks said quietly. She then drew her wand and began using it to manipulate the runic symbols on the surface of the sphere. "Harry, you need a wand to work this puzzle."

And thanks to his condition he could barely use a wand at all. "Bloody hell."

* * *

The next day Harry was trying—and for the most part failing—to use his mother's old wand to move the runes which covered the small crystal sphere. "Luna did you really solve this in just thirty seconds?"

"Yes, but my father's newspaper the _Quibbler_ was been printing cross-rune puzzles for as long as I can remember. We included a new one in each edition.

Harry was being guarded by five witches, but since he was completely helpless for the next week or two he really couldn't complain. The Veela healer Black had been flirting with—her name was Elsa—insisted that any movement at all might interfere with the rehabilitation of his back muscles. As a result the Defense Club and the Veela had worked out a schedule for guarding him twenty-four hours a day. While they were on duty the witches were also helping Harry with his schoolwork, and Luna was tutoring him on the subject of rune puzzles.

"This is hopeless. I can barely make the little runes move at all," Harry complained. "If there is a time limit during the Second Task I will be totally screwed."

"Maybe you need a new wand," Millie suggested. "I heard that you couldn't find a proper match at Ollivanders, but you could always hire a wand-maker to do a custom job."

Hermione looked up from the History of Magic essay she was proofreading. "Can you really have a wand specifically made for an individual wizard or witch?"

"Yes, but it is basically just status symbols for wealthy purebloods. You're just as likely to find a match at a shop like Ollivanders," Daphne told them. "But Harry's magic is odd in many ways. Since his Animagus form is a unicorn, Tracey and I have often joked that he should have a wand made from a hair taken from his Unicorn tail."

Harry thought about it for a moment. "You know, that might actually work."

In turns out that Apolline, Fleur, and several of the other Veela had their wands custom-made by a famous Moroccan wizard. It took a several letters (and a lot of galleons) to convince the reclusive Mr Cemal to leave Marrakech and come to Hogwarts. However the idea of succeeding where Ollivander had failed convinced him to make the long trip. Harry's healer Elsa was furious with him, but despite the pain he briefly transformed into Blackie and had a few hairs cut from his tail. Su, Luna, Hermione, and Padma also donated hairs from their tails on the off-chance that they might provide a useful core for his new wand.

"You have to admit that our magic is symbiotic in some unknown way," Padma said. "We are the only recorded instance in magical history of a group of identical Animagi."

After a week Mr Cemal produced two new wands. One wand containing a single hair from Blackie, and it simply matched the performance of his mother's old wand. However the wand with hairs from all five unicorns provided Harry with the best results he had ever gotten. It was still impossible for him to cast anything more than a weak Lumos spell, but his new wand did allow him to work the puzzle sphere if he concentrated hard enough.

Andromeda showed him how to reset the patterns so he could practice with a number of different puzzles. With Luna's guidance and a lot of work Harry could now open the sphere in about two or three minutes, but that was with no outside distractions. He doubted that it would be that easy during the Second Task.

As the month of December was coming to an end Harry's recovery was going well. So much so that he had no choice but to attend the Yule Ball. There was no question that Su was going to be his date, but the left Hermione and Padma in an awkward position. Daphne came to their rescue when she introduced them to a pair of seventh-year Slytherin wizards who didn't want their conservative parents finding out that they were a couple. Escorting a pair of beautiful witches to such a high-profile event made for excellent social camouflage.

Luna was spending the winter holidays with her father—at Harry's insistence. More than ever he was afraid for her safety. It was almost like she had become a talisman for him, which was why she was still a virgin. Everyone else in Harry's life was becoming corrupted by his freakish magic, and he wanted her to stay innocent for as long as she could.

The three juiciest bits of gossip to hit the Hogwarts grapevine that December came from Harry's own circle of friends. Not only had Viktor Krum had asked Millie to the Yule Ball, but he also asked her to marry him. The Krum family came from an ancient line of purebloods, but living under communism for fifty years had left them impoverished. The Bulstrodes were extremely wealthy, and Millie was a powerful witch who wanted a large family. That made her an ideal catch as far as Viktor was concerned, even if most of the other wizards in the castle failed to agree with him. Harry had spent a lot of time with a naked and sweaty Millie, so he had no trouble understanding his fellow Champion's attraction to the Slytherin witch.

Another source of gossip was Fleur's date to the Ball, who happened to be Professor Weasley. As the Veela tartly pointed out to anyone who asked, William was not _her_ Professor. She was legally of age, which meant they were free to date. Su thought that the French witch just adored all the scandalous attention, and Harry thought Professor Weasley just adored all the incredible sex. Even as a virgin Fleur had been handful in bed.

The Yule Ball itself was an ordeal. In addition to Su, Harry had to dance with over a dozen witches, and all this physical activity put a terrible strain on his back. Still, it was a fun, especially after the Weasley twins spiked the punch bowl with Firewhiskey. While Harry was dancing with Fleur the two them unleashed their combined Ecstasy on the crowd for few seconds, thus insuring that the Astronomy Tower and broom closets saw plenty of action that night.

The third bit of gossip was the surprise wedding of the notorious Sirius Black. The old dog had fallen hard for the Veela healer who was overseeing Harry's recovery, and he surprised her with a huge rock of an engagement ring. For some insane reason Elsa said yes, and the pair decided to get married on Boxing Day. That meant a hung over group of students had to drag themselves to London the day after the Yule Ball for the wedding ceremony.

All the witches agreed that Black had made a complete recovery from his time in Azkaban, and that he looked dashing in his dress robes. Lupin and Tonks were serving as the Best Man and the Maid of Honor respectively, and Harry had never seen Grimmauld Place look nicer. Still, something about all this didn't seem right to him.

"Apolline, why did Elsa agree to marry a dog like Black?" Harry asked Fleur's mother as he used his Legilimency on her. He needed an honest answer to his question. "I like my godfather well enough, but he isn't exactly what you would call husband material."

"Veela don't marry for love—we marry for power. My own husband is the third-ranking wizard in the French government," Apolline replied as she gestured over towards Mr Delacour and their cute little daughter Gabrielle. "As the godfather of the Lord Dionysus, Sirius Black is a very valuable resource. By seeking the protection of powerful and wealthy wizards, the Veela have survived for over four thousand years."

"What about Fleur's relationship with Professor Weasley? As far as I can tell he just another dirt-poor ginger."

"William Weasley is one of Albus Dumbledore's closest advisors now that the Headmaster has lost the services of Severus Snape to marriage and fatherhood. Fleur is having a bit of fun with the handsome boy, but at the same time she is also passing to the Veela Enclave a great deal of information about the current political situation here in the United Kingdom."

"What kind of information?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore believes that Voldemort will strike at Hogwarts before the end of the school year. Weasley is very concerned about the safety of his young siblings, and he has no choice but stay at the castle in hopes of protection them when the time comes," Apolline explained. "He has told Fleur several times that she should leave the country as soon as the Triwizard Tournament ends."

"Isn't that just wonderful."

The wedding itself was a great success. The bride and groom looked splendid together, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Harry got drunk for the second time in two days, and he was wondering if the new god of wine was doomed to become an alcoholic. He also noted with some trepidation that Su, Hermione, and Padma all cried during the ceremony. Harry loved his broodmares, but at fourteen was already a confirmed bachelor for life.

* * *

January and the first part of February passed by quickly when they returned to Hogwarts. Harry's health continued to improve, and he was doing well in all his classes thanks to the tutoring he was receiving from a small army of witches. Luna continued to help him with the runic puzzles, and using his new wand he could usually unlock the sphere in about a minute. Hopefully that would be good enough. Life seemed almost pleasant for a change until the morning of the Second Task when they learned that Hermione was missing.

"Where the hell is she?" Harry snarled as he flooded Minerva with his Charisma.

"Miss Granger was taken from her bed last night, and will be serving as a hostage during the Second Task," the Professor replied in a dead voice. Harry's magical strength had increased over the years, but at the moment he didn't care if he was causing Minerva permanent brain damage. "The Headmaster originally wanted to use Miss Li, but he was afraid of the political backlash her family might cause if her life was place in danger again. As muggles Miss Granger's parents have no legal rights in the magical world, so we used her instead."

"Maybe we can save her before this stupid contest begins," Su said. "Where is she being kept?"

"It is already too late to save her—Miss Granger is floating over the Black Lake as we speak."

When their group exited the castle a weird vista greeting them. A series of tall ward stones surrounded the shore of the Black Lake much like the stone statues found on Easter Island, and there were bleachers for the spectators located just behind them. Floating aimlessly high above the lake were three spheres identical to the one Harry had retrieved during the First Task. Identical expect for their size and color. These much larger spheres were about the size need to hold a single hostage, and each one was a different color: gold for Hogwarts, blue for Beauxbatons, and red for Durmstrang.

All around them flew a mixed flock of magical creatures. There was a hippogriff, two griffins, six occamys, and as they got closer they could also see hundreds of Cornish Pixies and Fwoopers. The lake itself was also danger, since several monsters could be seen swimming just below the surface. All and all, it was one big deathtrap.

"I can't believe they are actually using Fwoopers," Padma said. "They can cause a wizard to go temporarily insane if you listen to their birdsong for too long."

"What does that matter?" Harry snapped. "I almost got myself killed during the First Task because I didn't want anyone to know I could fly, but now I have no choice but to fly up to the sphere and rescue Hermione right in front of the entire magical world."

"Potter, if you don't calm down you will never be able to solve the rune puzzle," Su said as she punched him in the arm. "Obviously they are going to give you a broom, so maybe you can just pretend to ride it like a normal wizard?"

"I tried that a couple of times, and it only makes it harder to fly for real. I could never fake it _**and**_ carry Hermione at the same time," Harry explained. "I would just end-up dropping her into the lake, and from that height the water might kill her even before those sea-monsters get to her."

When the reached the large crowd they found that Viktor and Fleur were just as upset as Harry was. No matter how brilliant he was on a broom, Viktor was still afraid that his new fiancée might get hurt. Both Fleur and Apolline were prepared to start a blood feud with Dumbledore on the spot for kidnapping the eight year-old Gabrielle and placing her in such danger. The three Champions agreed that it was outrageous to force their loved ones to take part in the Triwizard Tournament.

"Good day Mr Potter. Here is the broom which you will need to complete the Second Task," Dumbledore said as he handed Harry a new Nimbus 2000.

The smug bastard was perfectly aware of the fact that Harry had never been able to use a broom, but that was the whole point. The Boy-Who-Lived was going to fail in front of this huge crowd of spectators. Everyone would see that their beloved hero couldn't ride a broom—something that every eleven year-old children was able to do. Not since his Aunt Petunia's death had Harry been so furious at Dumbledore for playing his stupid games with other people's lives. He grabbed Nimbus 2000, and snapped it half over his knee. He kept the end without any bristles, and tossed the other half over his shoulder.

"Mr Potter, what do you think you are doing?" Dumbledore asked. "You will not be given another broom."

"Just start the Task so we can get this over with," Harry hissed as he put on the Quidditch helmet and goggles they had provided for the three Champions.

The Headmaster reached for his wand, and they only thing that kept him from cursing his obnoxious student was the crowd that surrounded them both. "Very well." A flick of Dumbledore's wand caused a nearby canon to fire. It was the signal that the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament had officially begun.

In took Harry all of two seconds to reach the golden Hogwarts sphere. Evading the various magical creatures while he was flying up was easy, but now that he was floating in place near the sphere they began attacking him in earnest. Dodging the large griffins and occamys wasn't hard, but the Cornish Pixies were biting him like mad through his clothes as he studied the various runes. As Padma had pointed out, the real danger were the Fwoopers and their insanity-inducing birdsong. Whenever Harry saw their brightly colored feathers, he took the broom stick he had kept and gave the tiny things a hard smack that shut them up.

Solving the rune puzzle while constantly evading the flying creatures was time-consuming, but slowly Harry used his new wand to unlock the floating prison. When the last rune was it place a round hole appeared in the side of the sphere, and tucked away inside was a sleeping Hermione Granger. If anything was wrong with her, he was going to cut Dumbledore's heart out with dull spoon.

Just as Harry went to pick her up out of the sphere, he heard a loud scream. The hippogriff had just raked its talons across Fleur's back, and she had fallen off her broom. Without thinking Harry went into a two hundred kilometer-per-hour dive, and caught the Veela a second before she hit the hard surface of the lake. Fleur was at least ten kilograms heavy than Su, but he managed to fly her to the shore and dump her there before rocketing back up towards Hermione.

Harry then realized to his horror that Gabrielle was still being held in the blue Beauxbatons' sphere. If he just abandoned the little witch it might ruin his standing with the entire Veela Enclave. As he dodged two of the occamys he knew he had no choice but to rescue her as well. Luckily Fleur had almost completed her puzzle, and Harry only had to move two more runes to free her sister. Just as he picked up the sleeping Veela a Cornish Pixie bit right into his exposed neck. He crushed it to death with his bare hand, and grabbed Gabrielle right before one of the griffins pounced.

The trip over to the Hogwarts' sphere was brutal. Harry had over a dozen bites covering his body, and he didn't think he could make another trip back up to the spheres. He had to risk carrying both witches at the same time, and hope that they didn't crash into the lake below.

When Harry took-off carrying Hermione and Gabrielle he dropped like a rock. He used all the magic he had left to push them over towards dry ground, but they didn't quite make it. Luckily they landed only a few meters from the shore. The water broke the spell Hermione was under, and she was able to swim by herself while Harry carried a confused Gabrielle on his back. When they reached the waiting crowd he noticed that everyone was silent, and they were all staring at him.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Will someone please take the pretty little French girl," Harry said as everyone continued to stare at him. "I think I'm bleeding to death."

Apolline finally snapped out of it—whatever it was. "I will take her, my Lord. Please come this way. **Our** Healers will see to your wounds at once."

Su wrapped one of Harry's arms over her slim shoulders while Padma did the same on his other side. It was a sensible precaution, since he was seconds away from passing out thanks to painful bites all over his body. "What about Millie and Viktor? Are they still alive?"

"Yes, they landed just before you did. Headmaster Karkaroff insisted that they be taken to the Hogwarts Infirmary at once," Padma told him.

"He kept saying that if Krum suffered from any serious injuries it would ruin his professional Quidditch career," Su added. "Stupid wizards and their stupid priorities."

He saw that Hermione was being wrapped in a warm transfigured blanket by Minerva—it was the least the old witch could do after allowing her favorite student to be kidnapped. The pair waved as Harry and the others entered the hospital tent the Veela had assembled along the shore of the lake just a few minutes ago. Inside Fleur was already being treated on one of the metal operating tables. She was stripped to the waist and had a series of long bloody gashes across her pale back.

"I hope that the hippogriff didn't sever her spinal cord," Padma whispered as they placed Harry on the other operating table and began to strip off his clothes. The Indian witch then ran her wand over his naked body; unlike Fleur he was not permitted any modesty. "I count at twenty-three deep bites and thirty-one superficial ones."

"Potter, could have at least tried to defend yourself," Su joked.

"I had to prioritize the threats I was facing," Harry replied just before Padma forced him to drink a Blood-Replenishment Potion. "Sweet Merlin, this stuff tastes like raw sewage."

"That's too bad, because we are just getting started."

Su was looking over at Fleur's bloody back. "So you focused on the larger magical creatures while ignoring the Cornish Pixies?"

"There were too many of them, and I didn't have a way of dealing with them... besides swatting at the little monsters with a broken broomstick," Harry explained as Padma and two of the Veela began closing his many wounds with their wands. "Is Fleur going to be alright?"

"We aren't sure, my Lord," one of the healers remarked as she continued to work. "Her spine is lacerated in three separate locations. Sometimes magic can mend that kind of severe damage, but other times it can not."

"She's a strong witch, and that should help," Padma added.

"I hope I didn't make Fleur's condition worse by dropping her on the ground," Harry said nervously.

"It would have been a lot worse if she slammed into the surface of the lake," Su pointed out. "The hippogriff caused the problem, not you."

At this point Hermione was released by the healer who had examined her when she entered the tent. She immediately ran to Harry's side, but Padma grabbed her before she could move in for one her rib-crushing hubs. "You can't touch Harry until we are done treating his injuries."

"I'm sorry." Hermione stood there silently for about five seconds before she gave in to the inevitable and started crying. "It is just that he saved my life!"

"Granger, get a hold of yourself," Su said. "Everyone is out of danger now."

"Hermione, did Dumbledore or any of the other professors talk to you about taking part in the Second Task beforehand?" Harry asked. Healing all these bites at the same time was painful, and he was desperate for anything to take his mind off it. "Were you given any choice in the matter?"

"No one asked me anything, or I would have told Padma and Su. All I remember is going to sleep in my bed last, and then I woke up this morning in the freezing cold water of the lake."

"McGonagall said they used Hermione because her muggle parents don't have any legal rights. But Millie is from an old pureblood family, so how does Dumbledore hope to get away with kidnapping her?" Harry asked.

"We just talked to Miss Bulstrode and Mr Krum a few minutes ago," Lupin said as he entered the tent with Tonks and newlywed Blacks. Elsa gave her husband a kiss, and then rushed over to join the large group of healers working on Fleur. "Miss Bulstrode claims the Headmaster simply asked her if she wanted to help Mr Krum, but that he didn't give her any specific details about the Second Task."

"So Blackie, when the hell did you learn to fly without a broom?"

Everyone in the tent suddenly froze when they heard his godfather's question, even the healers treating Fleur. "Will someone place a privacy ward around Miss Delacour's bed so that they can continue to treat her in peace," Harry barked.

"At once, my Lord," a Veela warrior responded.

"And to answer your question Padfoot, I have been able to fly for a while now. How did you think Su and I managed to sneak in and unlock the cages that were holding the dragons before the First Task?"

"We thought you were just using your father's old Invisibility Cloak to sneak past the dragon keepers," Lupin told him.

"No, I flew." Harry noticed that everyone was still staring at him. "What's the big deal? Wizards have brooms and carpets—you even have several popular sports built around flying."

"Yeah, but you weren't using a broom!" Black yelled.

"No, I wasn't!" Harry yelled right back. "Where the hell is Apolline?"

"Here I am, my Lord."

Harry saw that the Veela Strategos looked terrible, and she was holding on to Gabrielle for dear life. "Do you ask Dumbledore why he placed your daughter in such a dangerous situation without asking for your permission?"

"Albus spoke to my husband about involving Gabrielle in the Second Task a few weeks ago at the ICW, and implied that there would be no real danger," Apolline said as she continued to watch the healers working on Fleur. "Because of that verbal agreement I have no legal grounds to protest his actions. Your Headmaster is arrogant, but he isn't stupid. I have no doubt that everything he did during the Second Task was perfectly legal."

"So bastard is untouchable despite what he did to my friends? We just have to sit back and take his shite?" Harry asked the others.

"Yeah, I think so," Tonks said. "I know that the Wizengamot will vote against us if we try to fight Dumbledore over Hermione's kidnapping. According to my mum, the legal rights of the muggleborns is always a losing issue with the pureblood racists that dominate the Ministry of Magic."

As the healers continued with their painful work, Harry tried to organize his thoughts. Despite everything that had just happened over the Black Lake during the Second Task, nothing had changed. Dumbledore was still using the Boy-Who-Lived as bait in hopes of provoking Voldemort, and there was still nothing he could do about it. Even worse was the strange way everyone in the tent was watching him.

"I'm buck naked right now, so could you all please stop staring at me? Are there any rules which state that a student must live at Hogwarts? What about the ones who have family here in Hogsmeade? Can they commute each day?"

"Harry, the school is a thousand years old," Lupin said. "I imagine that at some point during all that history a few students might have lived outside the castle, but the Headmaster would never allow..."

"Screw Dumbledore," Harry snarled. The healer was closing the wound on the back of his neck and it felt like someone was jamming a hot needle into the base his skull. "After what that bastard did to Hermione and Fleur today, I'm about ready to kill him. As long as he is the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the school wouldn't be safe for me or for my friends."

* * *

By the end of the day Su, Hermione, and Padma had joined Harry at the newly expanded Veela fort with all of their personal possessions. The Elders had returned to Hogwarts to watch the Second Task, which meant there were now close to a hundred Veela in the Forbidden Forest. This explained why they had so many healers on duty, and thanks to their expertise Harry made a complete recovery. Fleur hadn't been so lucky.

"The damage to her spinal cord was just too extensive," Padma explained when they all gathered up on the fort's rooftop battlements that night. Waiting with the others down in the infirmary was too depressing. "The healers doubt if she will ever be able to walk again."

"Why do I have the horrible feeling that someone is going to blame all this on me?" Harry asked as he took a long drink from a bottle of Firewhiskey. For some reason the stuff always tasted better when you drank it under a starry sky.

"Someone like Dumbledore?" Su asked as she pointed to the edge of the defensive wards that surrounded the fort.

"Where is Amelia when I really need her?" Harry asked.

"She and Angelina Johnson have an important meeting with a group of foreign werewolves tonight," Hermione replied as she clung to Padma, who was stroking her bushy brown hair. "At least that's what Tonks told me."

"Come on, let's go see what the wanker has to say."

Apolline joined Harry as he marched outside, and she volunteered to do the talking. That was a good idea, considering how much Dumbledore hated him and vice versa. "It has been a long and trying day Albus, and tonight will be even worse. So what do you want from us?" his Strategos asked.

"You have four of my students here at your... encampment. I am taking them back to Hogwarts where they belong."

"I don't think so," Harry said flatly. "The four of us will be attending our classes during day, but we will spend our nights out here in the Forbidden Forest where we're safe."

"Mr Potter, I am afraid that is not acceptable. Only the wards of Hogwarts can keep you safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

"Yes, but they can't keep me safe from **you**, and your stupid plots to get me killed."

Bane and several of his fellow centaurs suddenly emerged from the darkness. "By allowing this Tournament to take place you have betrayed your sacred oath to protect the children under your care Albus Dumbledore. Leave our Forest now, while you still can."

The centaurs were soon joined by over a dozen unicorns, and for one brief moment Harry was delighted to be the Lord of the Unicorns. The beautiful white creatures slowly began to surround Dumbledore with their horns—horns which were glowing with a magical white light. Harry then remembered the old legends about slaying a unicorn, and how anyone who committed such a foul deed would live a cursed life. He was almost hoping the old wizard was stupid enough to start a fight.

"It is an odd group of friends you gathered around yourself, Mr Potter," Dumbledore remarked as he slowly backed away. "While I am not willing to fight them, Voldemort will show no such restraint during the war that will soon begin. They will all suffer terribly because of their association with you."

Harry tried to think of something to say, but he didn't have a response to Dumbledore's accusation. All his friends and allies were in terrible danger because of him, but what would he do about it? How could he win an unwinnable war?

"Headmaster, according to legend the tears of a phoenix have incredibly healing powers. Perhaps your familiar could donate a few to help my daughter with her current medical condition?" Apolline pleaded.

"I am afraid that Fawkes will only share his precious tears with those who are loyal to the Light," Dumbledore said as he turned to leave. "By failing to heed my commands you have all proven yourselves unworthy of his aid."

"What a colossal arse," Su said as they watched him disappear.

"I glad he came," Harry whispered. "Because now I have an idea how we can help Fleur. Come on."

The Veela fort was design to hold a small army, which meant it had an extensive infirmary stocked with every kind of potion you could want. But there was one substance not included in the medical inventory: unicorn blood. The healers on duty were not enthusiastic when Harry told them about his latest idea, but since they were Veela they didn't want to argue with their Lord Dionysus. Padma showed no such restraint. She loved her stallion, but unlike Hermione she wasn't afraid to argue with him when she thought he was being an idiot.

"Harry, you are a unicorn Animagus. **Not** a unicorn. There is a difference between the two, which means your blood probably doesn't have the same magical properties."

"You've seen how the other unicorns react to me. They think I'm a real unicorn... hell, they think I'm the greatest unicorn in the world. That's good enough for me."

"If by chance you're right, it's still a bad idea," Padma argued. "Unicorn blood is one of the most dangerous magical substances in the world. I have read records of wizards who used unicorn blood, and their lives were full of misery until the day they died—which was usually in a few short years."

"The blood is only cursed if it's forcible taken during the murder of a unicorn," Harry argued. "I'm giving my blood of my own free will."

"My Lord, your young friend is right. I thank you for your generous offer, but the risks are too great," Apolline said.

"I know this is dangerous, but according to your healers she doesn't have any other options."

"Mother, he is right," Fleur said in a weak voice. "I **must** compete in the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. If I fail to do so, the Goblet of Fire might strip me of my magic. I would rather die than let that happen."

That was all Harry needed to hear. He quickly grabbed a vial and a small ritual knife from the shelves, and then handed them to Su. A second later Blackie appeared right in the middle of the infirmary.

Su grabbed his snout, and pulled down his huge head so she could look him in the eyes. "Potter, are you sure about this?" After he nodded, she took a deep breath and made a cut in the massive muscles of his equine chest. Slowly the small glass vial in her hand began to fill with a thick, silvery substance.

"Thank you for doing that," Harry whispered after he transformed back into his human form.

"I guess being the boss mare of your herd can't be all moonlight and roses," Su muttered as she handed him the blood.

Fleur looked terrified, but she opened her mouth when he showed her the vial. The Veela then drank a small amount of the blood despite the protests of her mother and the healers. Afterwards they all settled in to wait for the results, but the day's events had left everyone exhausted. Soon the only ones left awake were the healers.

* * *

It was near dawn when they were all awakened by a screaming Gabrielle. Her reaction was understandable though, since the little witch was being twirled around in the air by her big sister. Fleur was moving around well for someone who had been paralyzed a few hours ago.

"I told you it would work," Harry said as he stood up to stretch his sore muscles. "Hermione, do we have any classes today?"

"Maybe you should turn around," Padma said in an odd voice. Slowly he did just that, and found the Veela on their knees. All of them—from tiny Gabrielle to her powerful mother who was kneeling less than a meter away from him.

"My Lord Dionysus, after what you have shown us during this past day I must humbly beg for your forgiveness," Apolline said. "My foolish pride prevented me from seeing the truth, but I swear upon my soul that I shall never doubt you again. For as long as I draw breath, I am yours to command."

"All of you get up," an embarrassed Harry snapped. "I grateful for your support, but I don't want to see anyone kneeling to me. Not ever again. Especially you Gabrielle." To take the sting out of his words he went over and kissed her on the forehead, a simple act which earned him a huge smile. "Fleur, how are you feeling this morning?"

"I feel wonderful, my Lord. Simply wonderful."

Harry had a feeling she was seconds away from jumping his bones right here in front of everyone, and he hadn't gone through all the trouble of healing the Veela just to have Su kill her now. "We need to get out of these clothes. Could someone please show us where the house-elves put our stuff last night?"

"Potter, you smell pretty ripe," Su added.

After getting a whiff of his underarm, Harry agreed. "We need to take a shower too."

The baths in the Veela fort weren't elaborate by magical standards, but they were large and had plenty of hot water. Harry made a beeline for the artificial waterfall, and stood there for a good five minutes before he noticed that Hermione was sobbing in the corner while holding on to Padma. He grabbed Su—who had also been enjoying the waterfall—and went to join them.

"What's wrong?"

"She's just upset about what happened," Padma whispered. "Being kidnapped from her own bed and being placed in such danger..."

"The professors at Hogwarts are supposed to be responsible adults," Hermione wailed. "How could they do that to me? How could they do that to anyone?"

As Harry and Su joined the group hug, he wondered about that. After what happened during the Second Task, he doubted if Hermione would ever feel safe at Hogwarts again. Padma once claimed that wizards were little more than barbarians, and she was right. Rules and laws didn't matter. All that mattered to wizards was strength. Dumbledore's strength meant he could run roughshod over Harry and his friends, and Voldemort obviously felt the same way. How could he change their minds?

* * *

An hour later they were almost ready to return to Hogwarts when another disaster struck, and it was the worst one yet. Black, Lupin, and Tonks appeared outside the Veela fort levitating a bloody and beaten Angelina in front of them. To Harry's untrained eye the werewolf queen looked dead.

"If you have any of that unicorn blood left now would be a good time to use it," Black said after they carefully deposited Angelina in the infirmary. "We tried several healing spells, but nothing really helped."

"She has burns over most of her body, over a dozen shattered bones, and all of her internal organs are slowly being liquified by some rare dark curse," Lupin explained.

"What the hell happened to her?" Harry asked. "And where is Amelia?'

"She's dead," said Tonks, who was clearly in shock. "We headed back to Malfoy Manor after all the excitement, and found it in flames with the Dark Mark floating in the sky. There were dead bodies everywhere. Most of them were werewolves, but we found Amelia too. She must have placed Angelina under a Disillusionment Charm at some point during the fight, which is the only reason she's still alive."

"I haven't seen anything like that since the seventies," Lupin added in a haunted voice. "You could tell that the werewolves had all been tortured at length with silver spikes before they were finally killed."

"There is only one wizard who could kill Amelia Bones **and** a large pack of werewolves at the same time: Voldemort," Black told him. "If Angelina dies now it will rip apart the fragile peace between the various packs, but that is just what Voldemort wants. Do you did think she will live?"

"My unicorn blood worked for Fleur, so it should work for her," Harry replied. "Meanwhile we have to put our contingency plans into effect."

Now that Voldemort had made his opening move, they had no choice but to react quickly before any more attacks were launched. Su and Padma sent owls to their parents, but both the Li and Patil families were well-prepared for this sort of thing. None of their great family wealth was kept here in the United Kingdom, and their nonessential personal were given Portkeys back to China and India.

Over the summer Hermione had a frank conversation with her parents about the real history of the magical world, and the Grangers had been preparing for a move to Australia ever since then. By the end of the day they had left from Heathrow Airport on a flight to Perth. Susan Bones' family had moved out of Malfoy Manor a few months ago, and Tonks left to give them the bad news about Amelia. She would also tell them to go into hiding, and to stay there until Voldemort was dead.

The last person on Harry's list was Luna's father. Black and Lupin paid a visit to the offices of the _Quibbler,_ and carried-off the publisher and his magical printing presses. Mr Lovegood was going to be staying in the Forbidden Forest from now on, a prospect that didn't seem to bother the crazy wizard.

Of course the Forest itself was not an ideal choice for a base of operations. Amelia had planned on using Malfoy Manor, but it had been burned to the ground. Grimmauld Place in London was an attractive option, but it was too far away from Hogwarts to be of use. Harry was trapped in Scotland until the Third Task was over, since only then would he be free from the Goblet of Fire's binding magic. At the end of the school year he planned on retreating to the Veela Enclave, which had been located high in the Pyrenees Mountains for over two-thousand years. Let Voldemort try to break through those ancient wards.

"Are you ready to cast the Fidelius Charm on the fort?" Harry asked.

"Yes, my Lord," Apolline replied. "We have also received reinforcements and additional supplies from the Enclave. We should have no problem holding out until the end of the Trizard Tournament. Are you certain you wish to return to Hogwarts?"

"No, I'm not certain at all," Harry admitted. "But my friends are Ravenclaws, and despite what happened they refuse to abandon their schooling. I can't let them go back to the Hogwarts alone. Plus I need to see if Luna is alright, since she is now a target too. Is Angelina showing any signs of improvement?"

"The werewolf isn't dead yet," Apolline replied with a touch of admiration. "I may dislike her, but she has a strong will. I believe she will make a full recover, just as Fleur did."

"I sure hope so, because we really need to know what happened during that attack."


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

The next morning four reluctant students transformed into their Animagus forms, and headed back to Hogwarts. The Forbidden Forest was a dense, dark, and dangerous place, but Blackie and his herd of unicorns galloped along a breakneck pace. After all the time he had spent here Harry really did consider the Forest his home, and he knew every square millimeter of it intimately. Hermione had expected some sort of fracas when they reached the school, but neither Dumbledore nor Minerva was there to greet them at the main gate.

"Maybe they don't know that Amelia Bones was murdered," Su suggested.

"I doubt it," Harry said as he took out his Invisibility Cloak. He was convinced that Dumbledore would find some way to blame him for this latest disaster. "I need to find Luna and tell her about her father before breakfast. I will meet you later in the Great Hall."

After ghosting through the castle, Harry plopped down outside of the Ravenclaw common room and tried not to think about Amelia. After only a few minutes of waiting Luna appeared along with her best friend Ginny. He could only hope that the little ginger didn't go running to her brother Professor Weasley with the news he was about to share.

"Luna, I need to talk to you."

Ginny flinched when she heard his disembodied voice. "Potter, why do you always use that stupid invisible cloak?"

"Ask your stupid brothers. Fred and George have pranked me more than all the other students at Hogwarts combined."

"They are worst kind of bullies," Luna added with her usual honesty. "Follow me." She then took his invisible hand and lead him towards the nearest broom closet.

There was no way to sugarcoat the news, so Harry didn't even try. "You know how I have told you that Voldemort would come back one day? Well, **today** is that day, and he has already killed Amelia Bones and several werewolves. Because of this, some of my friends went to the _Quibbler_ a few hours ago and... er, abducted your father. They took him to a safe place where Voldemort and the Death Eaters can't reach him. I really didn't want to do this, but I couldn't take the chance that he might get hurt because of our friendship. "

"Is he safe now?"

"He's as safe as any wizard can be when surrounded by a hundred Veela," Harry answered. "I told them to protect your father with their lives, and they obey my commands for the most part."

"They have accepted you as their reborn god Dionysus?"

"After what happened during the Second Task, I honestly think so. You aren't mad at me for doing this without asking first, are you?"

Luna responded by kissing him, and what she lacked in experience she more than made-up for with enthusiasm. Harry had kissed a lot of girls—in truth he had become something of a male slut. As a result he had no problem kissing her back, and he was enjoying himself until the blonde began to grope him. He reluctantly pulled her soft hands out of his trousers.

"No, you are still too young for that."

"Ginny and I have been practicing with bananas. I promise I won't use my teeth."

"Sweet Merlin, give me strength," Harry muttered as he looked up to the heavens. In a louder voice he added: "You are a very special witch Luna Lovegood, but you aren't ready for this yet."

"Yes, I am."

"No, you are not," he said with a sad smile. "Maybe next year when you're older."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise." Harry made this statement with one hand over his heart, while he was crossing his fingers with the other hand behind his back. Luna was going to stay a virgin until her wedding—to another wizard. She deserved so much more than the miserable life he could offer her. "Does Ginny have a crush on me too?"

Luna shook her head. "She is too much like her mother. Ginny could never share her husband with another witch, let alone a group of them."

"Then why has she been practicing, as you call it?"

"She has her heart set on Cedric Diggory."

"We should tell Su about that. She'll be delighted to help anyone who wants to steal Cho Chang's boyfriend."

* * *

"You better have a look at this," Hermione said to Harry as he sat down and reached for an orange—and not for his customary banana. That particular fruit was off his menu forever.

"No way. I'm never going to read the _Daily Prophet_ again."

During his visit to the offices of the _Quibbler_ yesterday Black found a copy of the tabloid newspaper, and he mercilessly mocked his godson about it. The damn thing was filled with breathless coverage of the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, and it included over a dozen magical pictures of him flying around as he saved Fleur, Gabrielle, and Hermione.

Su glanced over at the front page of today's edition, and began cursing in Chinese. Harry recognized several of the words, since she tended to use them during sex. "The Aurors are blaming Amelia Bones' death on the werewolves."

"Oh shite," Harry said, as he grabbed the _Prophet_ and skimmed the article.

It was better than the garbage Rita usually wrote, but the fact that it was reasonably accurate only made it worse. Amelia's body **had** been found surrounded by a number of dead werewolves, and it was logical to infer that there had been a fight of some sort. But Rita had left out the most important piece of information: that the Dark Mark had been cast in the sky above the burning Manor. It appeared that the Ministry of Magic didn't want the public to know that Voldemort and his Death Eaters were back in business.

"Take a look up there," Padma said at she discretely pointed at the High Table. Dumbledore was conferring with Snape about the news from the _Prophet_, and neither of them looked happy about it.

"I bet the Headmaster will call you up to his office today," Su said. "It looks like the old fool was blindsided by Amelia's death, so he'll want any information you have on the subject."

"But I don't know anything," Harry complained. "Angelina is still unconscious, and she was the only eyewitness we know about."

"There is nothing we can do until we have more information," Hermione pointed out. "Let's get to Herbology before we're late."

"Did any of you see Susan Bones at breakfast?" Harry asked as they headed out towards the greenhouses.

"In the Great Hall we heard that her parents came to Hogwarts early this morning to withdrawal her from school," Padma said. "Even her best friend Hannah doesn't know if she will be coming back any time soon."

Herbology was usually one of Harry's favorite classes, but that morning it was a nightmare. Professor Sprout could barely conduct the class in his exalted presence, and all the Gryffindors were openly gawking at him. To make things worse they were working with Bubotubers, and the plant's disgusting yellowish pus smelled like petrol. When the class was dismissed Ron Weasley had the nerve to ask if he was trying out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team next year. The only thing that kept Harry from losing his temper was Padma's hand, which she kept running over his arse in a tight circle.

"Weasley, you do remember our first-year at Hogwarts? In was in the greenhouse just next store where you and your fellow Gryffindors almost beat me to death. And now you want to talk about Quidditch like we're best mates?"

"It was just a question, Potter. Why do you always have to be such a tosser?" the ginger asked in a belligerent tone.

That set-off Su and Hermione (who despised Ron Weasley for some reason), and the pair began cursing the idiotic Gryffindor while Harry and Padma made their escape to the nearest classroom. Somehow the Indian witch knew exactly what he needed. She managed to magically lock the door and disrobe in about ten seconds, and he was ready to start about five seconds after that.

As Padma hopped up on one of the desks Harry couldn't help but admire the view. She was as perfect as any Veela but, with a mass of black hair and beautiful light brown skin. However after his encounter this morning with Luna and her magical hands he was too worked up to last more than a minute.

"I'm sorry about that," Harry whispered afterwards as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Don't worry about it," Padma assured him as she cast a Scourgify Spell on their sticky bits. "You needed a way to relieve all the stress you are under, and I know you will make it up to me later on."

"Somehow I doubt Su would be this forgiving about my sub-par performance," Harry said as he began gathering-up their discarded robes from the floor. "I'm really going to miss my time together with you and Hermione."

Padma grabbed by him by the hair and gave him a bruising kiss. "I promise you that no matter what our beloved boss mare might think, the bookworm and I aren't going anywhere."

"But nowadays you two are so close."

"We are close, but that doesn't change how we feel about you. We'll find a way out of this bloody mess, and then you are going to give me the magical children I have always wanted. **And** you are going to stay home and raise them while I have a brilliant career as a world-famous healer. Hermione feels the same way, although she wants to pursue something in the field of Arithmancy. Now get dressed. Once we are finished with Ancient Runes we can head back out to the Forbidden Forest. By then the werewolf queen should be awake and ready to answer some questions."

* * *

"I always thought those old nicknames were so ridiculous: He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who," Angelina said. "But now I finally understand why people used them."

"So it was Voldemort who crashed your party and killed Amelia?" an irritated Harry asked. If the other werewolves saw their young queen in this weakened state they would rip her to pieces. Literally.

"He is so powerful, and he looks like a deformed mutant."

"Miss Johnson, we need as much information as you can give us," Apolline told the werewolf as she took out her wand. "Please concentrate while I remove the memory of the event from your mind."

The Veela had brought a Pensieve from their Enclave as a training tool for their warriors, but it was also a useful tool for gathering intelligence. Even the most talented and well-trained witches tend to miss critical details in the middle of a magical battle. Harry hoped that they could learn something useful from this tragedy so he joined Apolline, Fleur, and Su as they entered the Pensieve.

They found themselves in the formal gardens behind Malfoy Manor where Angelina was making a speech to a group of foreign werewolves about the need for international coöperation and the importance of spreading the Wolfsbane Potion. Her ongoing campaign was attracting new supporters from Central America and the Caribbean, where their kind had long suffered from harsh persecution. The meeting seemed to be going well until the wards surrounding the Manor collapsed without warning.

As Angelina had pointed out, Voldemort didn't look like a human being anymore. For starters his nose was gone, and his red eyes and pale skin belonged on a snake, not a wizard. Despite facing such a deadly enemy Amelia didn't panic. The former Auror quickly managed to rally the werewolves, and set up a solid defensive position against the dozen or so Death Eaters who had accompanied their master.

"Why isn't Voldemort attacking?" Su asked.

"Dark Lords have no interest in preserving the lives of their gullible followers," Apolline explained. "He is using his Death Eaters to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of his enemies before he joins the battle himself."

The analysis of the Veela Strategos soon proved correct, After the first few chaotic minutes Voldemort finally struck, and when he did it was awe-inspiring. Harry had seen several nasty duels, but nothing prepared him for the Dark Lord's incredible skill with a wand. Since Amelia was greatest threat Voldemort began a relentless attack on her, while at the same time mortally wounding the individual werewolves who were fighting his Death Eaters. This strategy worked perfectly, and it appeared that the fight would soon be over.

"Look at him," Apolline jeered as they watched the memory play. "The bastard wants to gloat before he finishes Bones off."

Right on cue Voldemort began to speak. "So Amelia, how do you like my glorious new body? The ritual I preformed on the Winter Solstice work even better than I had hoped, and it only took the lives of seven worthless muggleborns."

Rather than answer him, Amelia cast a powerful Reducto Curse on the ground just in front of Voldemort. The resulting shower of debris forced the Dark Lord to shield himself for several seconds. Amelia took this opportunity to hide Angelina underneath a complex Disillusionment Charm just as Tonks and the others had thought. However the werewolf was still semi-conscious, so the memory continued onwards.

After Voldemort dropped his Shield Charm, he redoubled his onslaught. The only consolation Harry could take from the one-sided duel that followed was that Amelia died quickly before the Death Eaters could torture her. The other werewolves were not so lucky, and the carnage that followed caused both Fleur and Su to leave the Pensieve as they began to vomit.

Apolline insisted that they watch the memory again. "We have a serious problem, my Lord. I had a long discussion with Amelia Bones about the defense wards surrounding this Manor of yours. She was concerned about possible flaws the late Lucius Malfoy might have left behind, so she personally stripped the wards down to their foundations and then recast them. It should have been impossible to any wizard—even one as powerful as Voldemort—to bring them down so quickly."

"Impossible unless he had detailed information about the new wards beforehand," Harry reasoned. Ancient Runes wasn't his best class, but he did pay close attention whenever the subject of defensive wards came up.

"Not only was Voldemort able to bypass the wards, he also knew that the gathering was taking place on that specific night," Apolline added. "Angelina Johnson is young, but she takes operational security very seriously. In my opinion one of the other werewolves must have taken this opportunity to betray her. Once the queen was dead this hypothetical traitor could then take her place, and form a new alliance with Voldemort and the Death Eaters."

They soon exited the Pensieve and shared this theory with Angelina. She did not take the news well. "He is a dead man!"

A look from Harry to the Veela warriors sent five Impediment Curses flying towards the enraged werewolf, which was barely enough to slow her down. "Why don't you take a deep breath, and explain to us who you think this traitor is. Amelia was my friend too, and I want to see justice done just as much as you do."

"It was Lupin!" Angelina snarled. "He did a lot of the research when they were adding the new wards to Malfoy Manor, **and** he arraigned for the muggle transportation to bring the foreign werewolves here to the United Kingdom. None of them were allowed to use Portkeys, so they all had to travel by muggle aeroplane from Miami."

"Lupin is always working with Sirius Black or sleeping with Tonks," Su said. "Don't you think those two would have noticed if he suddenly became a Death Eater?"

Angelina ignored this observation. "Potter, you are always bragging about how brilliant you are at Legilimency. I will ask the questions, and you can tell me if the bastard is lying or not."

* * *

For Sirius Black being married to a Veela had been the single best experience of his life, even more so than his days at Hogwarts. Elsa Black was everything we could have hoped for from a wife, both emotionally and physically. Adding to his happiness was her pregnancy—in less than seven months he would finally have an heir of his own.

But today he learned the most important secret his wife had been keeping from him. While a Veela might come to love the wizard she married, her first loyalty was **always** to the Enclave. Elsa would do anything for her fellow Veela. That included betraying her husband by spiking his best friend's drink with a Sleeping Draught, and carrying him off to the Forbidden Forest at the request of her Strategos Apolline. Black would be furious with her, but it didn't matter. The divine will of Lord Dionysus superseded all other temporal concerns.

Rather than wake the sleeping prisoner with a Reviving Spell, Angelina simply punched him in the face. "If I'm wrong I will apologize to him later on."

The older werewolf didn't shout or bluster at them when he opened his eyes and felt the heavy chains around his body. To Harry this passive reaction was like a big guilty sign hanging around Lupin's neck.

"We are going to ask you some questions, and I will be using Legilimency to verify if you are telling us the truth. Don't try and block me, because it will only cause you a great deal of pain and you will still fail. That's how good I am."

Angelina didn't feel like wasting any time. "Have you ever passed information about the werewolf packs to Voldemort or any of his Death Eaters?"

"No, I was passing information to Albus Dumbledore, not to Voldemort," Lupin calmly replied. "I have never and will never supported that evil lunatic or his goals."

Harry was only gently probing Lupin's thoughts, and he knew that the wizard was telling the truth. However there were also whispers of doubt floating around in there, so Harry reached down deeper into his mind. Even after everything he had been through in his life, the information he found still shocked him.

"You really believe Dumbledore could have had Amelia killed like that?" Harry asked when he finally came up for air. Legilimency was a taxing process.

"There is no proof of course, and even if you used Veritaserum the Headmaster would still be able to deny giving Severus Snape any orders. Yet he always insisted that his pet Death Eater be present when I was giving my reports, and that meant Voldemort quickly received all the intelligence I was sharing." Lupin then let out a bitter laugh. "That was the beauty of it: Dumbledore could keep his hands clean while his lackeys did all his dirty work for him."

"Amelia Bones was one of the strongest witches in Europe, and the werewolf packs were more than willing to fight against Voldemort when the time came. So what could he possible gain from betraying us all?" a shocked Angelina asked.

"Dumbledore didn't care about Amelia or the werewolves. His only interest is in defeating Voldemort, and in his expert opinion **he** is the only wizard capable of doing that."

"What about the Prophecy?" Harry asked.

"Sybill Trelawney is a drunken charlatan, and her so-called Prophecy is a fraud," Lupin sneered. "The idea that **you** of all wizards could defeat Voldemort is a sick joke."

Harry used his Legilimency to confirm these words, and again what he found shocked him. All the wizards he had come into contract with had come to dislike him, but none hated him with as much passion as Remus Lupin did. It was Harry Potter's fault that the world discovered he was a werewolf, which was the reason he lost his job teaching at Hogwarts. It was also Harry's fault that Tonks saw him as a meaningless fling, and not as a potential husband. The werewolf even blamed him for Voldemort's return from the grave, a belief that was shared by Dumbledore himself.

"Albus was a younger wizard during the sixties and seventies, yet he could never defeat Voldemort in a duel back then," Apolline quietly pointed out. "What makes him believe he can do it now when he is so much older and weaker?"

"That is a question only Dumbledore can answer for you. Now that you know the truth, what are you going to do to me?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Tonks was sobbing when she came out of the Pensieve, but Black's emotions were harder to read. First the pair watched Voldemort murder Amelia and the werewolves, and then they were subjected to Apolline's memory of Lupin's confession. Angelina had already passed judgment on her fellow werewolf, but how were these two going to react to the news? As Harry studied them couldn't decide how much of this mess could be blamed on the negative effect his Charisma had on wizards, and how much was his own fault. In light of that uncertainty, dealing with situations like this was agonizing.

"Well, what do you think?"

"I can't believe he betrayed us," Tonks wailed as she rushed into his arms. Harry had never seen his fellow Metamorphmagus totally lose control before—she was even switching between genders. Holding a male version of Tonks was too much for him to handle, so he flooded her with his Charisma. It calmed her down... to a degree. "Amelia was the strongest witch I've ever known, and now she is gone because of my lover. What was the idiot thinking?"

"He put his trust in Dumbledore," Black answered as he stared off into the Forbidden Forest. "I hate to admit it, but with Voldemort's return we will need the old wizard's help. We just have to be more careful than Remus was."

"Padfoot, that was exactly the wrong thing to say," Harry whispered as he stroked Tonks' ever-changing hair. "I can see now that it's only a matter of time until you go running back to Dumbledore just like Lupin did. After all the stupid mistakes he has made, he still has you stupid Gryffindors brainwashed."

"I haven't been brainwashed, I just recognize that we..."

Harry cut him off. "I'm not interested in hearing your excuses. You and Elsa will be taken to the Veela Enclave by Portkey, and you will stay there until Voldemort is dead. If you attempt to leave your wand will be confiscated, and you will be put back in a prison cell."

This pronouncement enraged Black. "**Harry Potter**, I am an adult wizard and your godfather! You have no say over what I do, or where I go!"

Rather than argue Harry gestured to the Veela standing guard, and had his godfather stunned. "Please be gentle with him. Hopefully Elsa will be able to make him see reason."

"Are you going to going to have me arrested by your pet amazons too?" Tonks asked after Black was taken away.

"No, what you do next is your decision. You can go with your cousin to the Enclave, or you can stay here and help me with the fight against Voldemort."

"What's going to happen to Remus? I may not love the blighter, but I do care for him. Angelina wants him dead, doesn't she?"

"You could say that. She wanted cut his throat right then-and-there for betraying the packs, but Lupin offered her a better solution."

"This better solution doesn't involve him staying alive does it?"

Harry grimaced. "Does Angelina seem like the forgiving type to you?"

The distraught Tonks then began kissing him. Hermione would no doubt condemn him for taking advantage of a friend in such emotional turmoil, but Harry didn't care. He had just stood by as one of his father's best friends was sentenced to death, and then he exiled his own godfather—an action which Black would never forgive or forget. Their rocky friendship was over for sure.

Tonks turned out to be an even better lover than Harry had dreamed, and he had dreamed about her often during the past few years. Driven by a sense of overwhelming pleasure, their bodies kept shifting and altering in ways he hadn't thought possible. Harry didn't think you could top nine Veela in one weekend, but sex between two sad and desperate Metamorphmagi actually did. Hopefully Su would never find out about this indiscretion. If she did, he knew for sure that one of witches would wind-up dead.

* * *

Long before her death Amelia had told Harry how she and Mad-Eye Moody conspired to murder the members of Voldemort's Inner Circle being held in Azkaban. This preëmptive strike had deprived the Dark Lord of several of his most powerful and fanatical supporters—most notably Bellatrix Lestrange and her husband. When Angelina took over the werewolf packs after the death of Fenrir Greyback, they had spent several weeks killing the low-level Death Eaters whom the psychotic werewolf had been in business with. These actions, along with the death of Lucius Malfoy, left You-Know-Who with an acute manpower shortage.

Voldemort's largest remaining source of supporters was the pureblood aristocracy. According to Apolline this presented them a real problem. The only targets left were very wealthy, which meant they could afford to maintain formidable wards around their homes. If Harry and his allies wanted a shot at the remaining Death Eaters, they first had to drawn them out from behind their defenses.

That was why Lupin was now standing in front of Walden Macnair's manor and urinating all over the wizard's prized shrubbery on a lovely Saturday morning. Macnair was the chief executioner for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, and he enjoyed nothing more than butchering those he considered to be animals. Angelina had been able to positively identify him as one of the Death Eaters who had tortured the werewolves during Voldemort's raid on Malfoy Manor, and this made him a prime target.

True to his reputation, Macnair came charging outside when he saw such a well-known werewolf trespassing near his land. Lupin tried to put up a fight, but during his career as an executioner the Death Eater had dealt with magical creatures far more formidable than a single middle-aged werewolf. He was even rumored to have defeated several giants.

Lupin was dealing with a true master, and after a short duel he was disarmed. Macnair snapped the werewolf's wand, and then transfigured a nearby stone into a wicked axe. It was clear he planed on torturing his current victim at length, rather than simply killing him.

"You filthy animal," Macnair snarled as he raised the axe over his head. "I'm going to skin you alive, and use your hide to wipe my arse after I take a shite!"

This crude boasting was the opening Angelina and her werewolves had been waiting for, and they all emerged from underneath their invisibility cloaks. With a wand Macnair was more than a match for eight werewolves, but with just an axe in his hands the odds were more even. A few of the werewolves were injured during the ensuing mêlée, but Angelina managed to bring the Death Eater down by destroying one of his knees with a Reductor Curse. The ambush wasn't quick enough to save Lupin though. Hopefully his honorable death washed away the sin of his betrayal.

Angelina dumped Mcnair's mangled corpse back inside his manor, and then set it on fire. Their mission completed, the werewolves activated their Portkeys and returned to the Forbidden Forest with their fallen comrade.

* * *

That same Saturday morning Severus Snape found himself in Knockturn Alley on an unplanned shopping excursion. It was unplanned because earlier in the week Harry had snuck into the potions storeroom at Hogwarts and stolen several of the rarest ingredients he could find. Last night Tonks and several of the Veela had kidnapped the witch those shady apothecary shop Professor Snape frequently patronized. Now the Metamorphmagus was standing behind the counter, trying to pull off the most important undercover job of her life.

"I need concentrated belladonna, a fresh dragon liver, and a dozen Runespoor eggs."

The illegal eggs were the reason Snape was in Knockturn Alley in the first place. Runespoors were a protected species, and quasi-black market shops like this one were the only places a potion master could find their rare magical eggs.

"Runespoor eggs are used in potions which enhance mental ability, are they not?" a female voice asked from the back of the shop.

Snape had his wand out in an instant, and turned to curse the buffoon who was meddling his private affairs. To his shock the beautiful witch standing before him had dark red hair and green eyes. She was also a Veela in disguise radiating her Allure, but Snape was too lost in his memories to notice. Harry's Aunt Petunia had often told him about Snape's childhood infatuation with his mum Lily, and this seemed like an excellent weakness to exploit.

"I have been led to believe that such potions are all but impossible to brew successfully," the Veela said as she flicked her long red hair behind her shoulder, a gesture which only drew more attention to her spectacular breasts.

If there was one thing every Veela excelled at it, it was the art of seduction. Not that it would take much effort to bag Snape. While he enjoyed an intellectual friendship with his wife Septima Vector, their mediocre sex life quickly disappeared after the birth of their first and only child. As a result he was an easy mark for an experienced operator.

"Impossible for most, but not for me," Snape boasted. "I don't believe I have seen you in this shop before Mrs..."

"**Miss** Royal. And you are?"

"I am Professor Severus Snape of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"It is a pleasure to meet Professor Snape, but given the density of such potions how do you prevent a toxic buildup in the frontal lobe?"

"A very astute question Miss Royal. You are as intelligent as you are beautiful," Snape said in his most charming drawl.

Apolline had insisted on preparing a number of conversational gambits like this one to distract their victim, and the plan worked. While Snape was busy flirting, Tonks was slowly moving out from behind the counter. When she was less than a meter away she cast her most powerful Stunner right in the back of the Death Eater's head.

Tonks handed the Veela a Portkey. "Take him back to the Forbidden Forest. Your Lord Dionysus wants to question him personally."

After the Veela and her prisoner disappeared, the Auror tried to calm her nerves. She had only cast this dark curse once before, and the experience almost killed her. Tonks was also worried about any innocent bystanders who might be shopping in Knockturn Alley at the moment, but then she remembered that Pensieve memory Harry had shown her. Voldemort cut Amelia Bones down like she was nothing more than a rabid dog, and then laughed as those poor werewolves were tortured for what seemed like hours. If that foul monster wanted to start another bloody war, **this** time he and his supporters weren't getting off scot-free.

"Fiendfyre!"

The magical fire quickly spread through the old wooden buildings of the narrow ally, and soon shouts of panic filled the air. After watching the chaos for a few moments Tonks activated her Portkey and disappeared from sight.

* * *

At the very same moment a fire began raging in the middle of London, another Severus Snape was meeting with his fellow Death Eater Alexander Nott in a private room above the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Harry had discovered the man's personal Floo address by using Legilimency his son Theodore Nott during one of their Astronomy Classes. Apolline doubted if the Death Eater would show up on such short notice, but the wizard—who was a widower—obviously cared deeply about his son's education.

"Severus, it is good to see you again," Nott said as he sat down. "How are Septima and your boy doing?"

"They are both in excellent health," Harry/Snape said as he poured two cups of tea from an enchanted teapot.

As a Metamorphmagus Harry had no problem copying his Professor's form, but he was on rockier ground when it came to that distinctive and hateful voice. Nott and Snape had known each other for over a decade, but hopefully his skill with Legilimency would allow him to fake his way through this conversation. If not, then the open window would allow for a quick aerial escape.

"That's good to hear. Now you implied over the Floo this morning that Theodore was having some problems with his Transfiguration class?"

"Yes, I am afraid so. You know how biased Minerva McGonagall is against her Slytherin students, and her constant harping isn't helping Theodore's classwork," Harry said before taking a sip from his cup of tea. He had gotten his bit of gossip from Hermione, who often volunteered to help Minerva with her paperwork. "I believe it would be in your son's best interest to arrange for a personal Transfiguration tutor during the summer months. With some extra practice he should have no trouble passing his OWLs next year."

"Minerva was a cast-iron bitch back during our school days, so it shouldn't surprise me that she is a poor teacher," Nott muttered. "Is my Heir having any other problems?"

"No, not at all. Theodore is receiving excellent marks in Potions, Charms, and DADA. He is also on course to earn his OWLs in both Ancient Runes and Arithmancy."

"I expected nothing less. With all the chaos we will soon be facing, I find myself more and more concerned about his future," Nott said as he gently rubbed the spot on his left forearm with held the Dark Mark. "But being a father yourself, I'm sure you understand how I feel."

"Yes, I think I do."

"Severus, I would like to thank you for catching this problem so early, and for your thoughtful discretion. Theodore can be very sensitive about personal criticism," Nott said as he finally took a sip from his own cup of tea. "If you need anything in the future don't hesitate to ask. Nothing is more important than the future of our children."

Nott then held out his hand in friendship. Harry took it as he watched for trembling in the tiny muscles around the wizard's eyes. Yes, the poison was already starting to take effect. The Death Eater had used his wand to subtlety check the tea before drinking it, but the Veela had extensive knowledge of how to camouflage magical poisons. (It had long been a favorite assassination method of theirs.) Of course Harry had taken the antidote an hour ago.

In less than five seconds Alexander Nott dropped dead, and Harry placed a Portkey on his chest. Given his meager skill with a wand it took him a full two minutes to activate damn thing, but he finally managed it. The corpse was then transported far out into the North Sea, where neither the Aurors nor Voldemort would ever be able to find it.

* * *

"Is Snape ready to be questioned?" Harry asked Apolline after he flew back to the Veela fort deep in the Forbidden Forest.

"Yes, my Lord. The wizard has been given a sizable dose of my personal blend of Veritaserum, and he is surrounded by six naked Veela radiating their Allure."

"Do you think that will help? The naked Veela, I mean."

"The interrogation tactic has proven successful in the past," a smirking Apolline replied. "Wizards—and males in general—can be very predictable at times."

"How did the other operations go this morning?" Harry asked. The Veela Strategos had planned a dozen separate raids, which were carried out by over a sixty Veela warriors. "Did we lose anyone other than Lupin?"

"No, my Lord. But we had the element of surprise working in our favor, and that won't be true next time we strike," Apolline pointed out. "We managed to demolish several factories and warehouses owned by key supporters of Voldemort, but our most productive operation was definitely the fire in Knockturn Alley. The Aurors and Goblins managed to contain it before it reached Diagon Alley and Gringotts, but the bill for the property damage will easily run into the hundreds of thousands of galleons. Your friend Nymphadora Tonks shows great promise."

"You're a trained expert Apolline. How do you think we are doing?" Harry asked in a tired but curious voice.

"Over the past several years you and the late Amelia Bones managed to systematically strip your enemy of the resources he needs to start another revolutionary war. Against any other opponent I would say you were certain of victory, but Voldemort is a special case. In my opinion his knowledge of the Dark Arts is unrivaled. I honestly can't say how many warriors it will take to finish him off, even if we force him to fight on without any major allies."

"Thank you, that's just what I **didn't** want to hear. Let's go see what we can get out of the prisoner."

Snape was indeed surrounded by six naked Veela, and the git looked like he was about to have either a heart attack or a stroke. Or maybe both. The potion master was so angry he couldn't decide which insult he wanted to use first. Instead he just started barking out orders.

"Potter, I want you to go find Headmaster Dumbledore and bring him here immediately. He will force these vile sluts to release me. They keep prattling on about someone they call Lord Dionysus."

"That would be me," Harry calmly explained. "I am Dionysus."

"Harry Potter the squib is actually claiming to be a Greek God? And I thought your father was an arrogant prick."

After personally poisoning another wizard Harry was in no mood to exchange insults, so he used his superior Legilimency skills to dig into Snape's mind. Apolline had been right: the six Veela had all but destroyed his Occlumency shields. The information Harry found was illuminating, but he still needed more details.

"I'm going to ask you a series of questions," Harry told Snape. "If you refuse to answer, my Veela will cast the Cruciatus Curse on you. Isn't that right Apolline?"

"It shall be as you command, my Lord."

"Alright then, let's start at the beginning. You're the one who told Voldemort about Sybill Trelawney's Prophecy. Isn't that right?" Harry asked. When no answer was forthcoming he gave Apolline a nod, and she in turn cast the Unforgivable Curse.

"Yes, I'm the one who gave the Dark Lord that ridiculous Prophecy!" Snape screamed a short time later.

He then proceeded to tell them the whole sordid tale. Harry and his four Ravenclaws had figured most of this out before, but it was still useful to hear it from one of the primary sources.

"So let me get this straight: you wanted my father and me dead, so you could claim my mum Lily for yourself?"

"Yes, I wanted Lily **Evans** for myself."

"And you thought she would go along with this brilliant plan of yours?"

"The Dark Lord had all but won the war against Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic," Snape hissed. "I could have protected her, despite her status as a muggleborn. I could have given her a rich and rewarding life when the New Order came to power."

Harry shared a look with Apolline, and she silently agreed with his assessment: this fool didn't know anything about witches. "And despite your role in my parent's deaths and your crimes as a Death Eater, Dumbledore kept you out of Azkaban?"

"Yes, he did. He also made me a Professor and the Head of Slytherin despite my young age."

"And just to be clear, Dumbledore no longer believes in the Prophecy?"

"No, he is simply waiting for the Dark Lord to kill you. He has refused to share any more of his plans with me."

"Why did he have you betray Amelia Bones to Voldemort?"

"It was a sure-fire way to prove my loyalty to the Dark Lord. Nothing more, nothing less. The loss of such a powerful ally didn't seem to concern Dumbledore."

"Whose side are you really on?" Harry asked.

"I'm on my own side. I'm playing Dumbledore and the Dark Lord against each other. If Dumbledore wins nothing changes for me, but I survive. If the Dark Lord wins I also survive and might even become the next Headmaster of Hogwarts. As long as both wizards believe I'm loyal, there is no way I can lose."

Harry had to agree—it was a good plan. "Do you regret anything you've done?"

"Only that I lost Lily. She would have made an excellent wife, and I can guarantee you that none of **our** children would have been squibs."

For several minutes Harry just sat there, and tried to figure out what to do with the wizard who had caused his family—and so many others—such misery. Keeping Snape as a prisoner for any length of time was too risky, especially since he had two masters who would be out looking for him. The idea of casting a Memory Charm and then letting him go was sickening, since he was the one responsible for the death of Amelia and the werewolves. That left only one alternative.

Harry slowly got to his feet, and walked over to Snape. This would be much easier if he could use a wand to cast the Killing Curse. But he couldn't. Instead he wrapped his hands around the Death Eater's neck and strangled him to death.


	25. Chapter 25

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

"Apolline, didn't you tell me the other day that your daughter was the most promising Veela of her generation?" Harry asked as he nursed a bottle of Firewhiskey. Tonks was already passed out on the floor of his opulent living quarter's here in the fort. The witch hadn't taken Lupin's death well, but then neither had he.

"Yes, I did. Much to my everlasting shame."

Fleur stood here with a petulant look on her perfect face. The foolish child—and Harry couldn't believe he was actually thinking of her as a child—brought her beau Professor Weasley out to the Forbidden Forest when one of the Veela sent her a message about the current Bacchanalia. After the strain of the day's events both the werewolves and the Veela started drinking when they returned from their missions. Around nightfall a drunk Lord Dionysus started broadcasting his Charisma, which caused Veela to produce the even the more potent Ecstasy. From there things quickly went downhill, as it so often did around the Boy-Who-Lived.

"Mother, I have told you before that William is an excellent candidate for recruitment to our cause," Fleur whined. No doubt she had a very specific idea of how her freckled stud could service the Veela. "He is appalled with Dumbledore's lack of leadership during this crisis."

"If the stupid boy wanted a meeting then you could have arranged for one at Hogwarts," Apolline snapped. "The real reason you brought him here was to expose him to Lord Dionysus' Ecstasy in hopes of obtaining a marriage proposal. Because of your selfish breach of security we will be forced to recast the Fidelius Charm, which will place our Lord at risk for several hours."

"Enough Apolline, you've made your point," Harry snapped. The Veela was angry not just with her daughter, but also because she had been called away from her favorite werewolf lover. "Fleur, keep Weasley far away from me. I'm in no mood to deal with one of Dumbledore's stooges. And for future reference it will take an Unbreakable Vow for me to trust your boyfriend. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my Lord," she replied before fleeing.

"Potter, why can't you be that forceful all the time?" Su ask as she walked through the door and sat down on her favorite seat—which was his lap. "Give me that."

Harry handed over the Firewhiskey, and his boss mare took a long drink straight from the bottle. It was one of the most erotic things he had ever seen in his life.

"Su Li, I love you."

"Yes, I know. My mum sent word by owl that Nicolas and Perenelle Flamel are here in Hogsmeade tonight. They want to meet with you, but she isn't sure why."

"Really?" Harry asked as he tried to sober-up. The Flamels scared him almost as much as Voldemort and Dumbledore did. "I think I should go see what they want."

"Nicolas Flamel is one of Albus Dumbledore's oldest friends, so this could be a trap," Apolline pointed out. "It would be better if I went in your place, and brought them back here where we have the advantage of numbers and terrain."

"I don't know if that would matter," Harry said. "I saw Perenelle Flamel kill a Cerberus, a Devil's Snare, and a troll without even breaking stride. And who knows what her husband is capable of after six hundred years."

"Nevertheless my Lord, it would be safer to meet them here at your seat of power in the Forbidden Forest. Thanks to my foolish daughter we already have to recast the Fidelius Charm, so that's not a concern," the Veela Strategos said. "I will return shortly, or not at all."

"I like her. She's so bloody competent," Su remarked before glancing over at Tonks. "I see the meta-slut can't hold her liquor."

"Don't start with the nicknames. Don't you dare," Harry growled. "Less than five hours ago she lit Remus Lupin's funeral pyre with her own wand."

Su wanted to make a catty remark, but for once in her life she held her tongue. "Fine. How are you doing?"

"Not good. Not good at all," he admitted. "Where are Hermione and Padma?"

"They will be joining us in a few minutes. First they wanted to give Luna and Ginny a tour of this place."

"You brought those two? Are you all insane?" Harry yelled as he got to his feet and dumped Su on the thickly carpeted floor. "Xenophilius and Professor Weasley are here at the fort, and if Luna and Ginny see them under the influence of my Ecstasy it will cause permanent psychological damage."

"It looks like you're already too late," Su said as a pair of dazed third-years entered the room.

Hermione and Padma were too embarrassed to explain what had happened, so Harry used Legilimency to gently scan the younger witches' minds. Neither had any mental shields to speak of, and he quickly discovered that Luna had seen her father. This was a major disaster. Since Harry brought Xenophilius Lovegood here to the Forest for his protection, he had become a mascot of sorts for the Veela. Unfortunately two of those naked Veela were sitting on the publisher of the _Quibbler_ when his young daughter found him. Harry tended to stay away from that sort of thing. It was hard enough for him to please one witch, let alone two or three of them.

Ginny was equally distraught after seeing her brother's pale white arse. The Professor hadn't wasted any time with Fleur, and had her pinned up against one of the trees outside. Neither had bothered taking off their clothes, but that was to be expected when a young wizard has first exposed the power of Lord Dionysus and his Veela.

The whole situation made Harry's rotten mood even worse. "Su, Hermione, and Padma: you three will stay here inside of my living quarters with Luna and Ginny until morning. By then the Bacchanalia should be over."

Hermione tried to object. "But we didn't know **this** would be happening when we brought them along."

"You should have known better than to bring them out here at all," Harry snapped. "Now that have been inside the Fidelius Charm they are both at risk, since Voldemort and the Death Eaters might try to torture them in order to find us."

"I'm sorry," Su said as she lowered her eyes in shame. "It was a stupid mistake to make. It's just that we were so worried about you, and we know that spending time with Luna always calms you down."

"And Ginny refused to let Luna come alone," Padma added as she glared over at the confused ginger. "I told you we should have used a Memory Charm on her."

That threat finally sparked the famous Weasley temper. "What is wrong with you people? Everyone in this filthy place is acting like a bunch of Death Eater—even my bloody brother. You are all going to get in so much trouble when I tell the Headmaster what's going..."

That's when Luna took out her wand and stunned her friend. "I'm sorry. I should have forced Ginny to stay behind at Hogwarts, but she wanted to see the Forbidden Forest. She has always protected me when the other students were being mean, and I didn't want to disappoint her again."

Su was right: Harry couldn't stay angry when Luna was around. So instead of yelling at her like she deserved, he gathered her in his arms and held on for dear life. "It doesn't matter. Su and Padma will take Ginny to the Infirmary. One of the Veela healers with cast a professional Memory Charm on her, and tomorrow she won't remember a thing. Hermione will stay here to keep you company. There is an important meeting I must attend, but we'll talk more when I get back."

* * *

It was wasn't long before Apolline returned with the Flamels. To Harry's horror Nicholas Flamel didn't even bother to introduce himself, but instead began to disrobe. The wizard looked like a hairy hedgehog, yet he had a strange presence about him which caught the eye of several witches. Apparently he had no problem with his wife Perenelle being in the room as he eagerly began to commit adultery.

"It is a pleasure to see you again Mrs Flamel," Harry said as he tried not to stare at the nauseating scene taking place only a few meters away. "I see that your husband is enjoying our unique brand of hospitality."

"Be honest with me Delacour: is the boy radiating this magical lust I'm feeling?" Perenelle asked as she anxiously tapped her wand against her thigh.

"Yes, my Lord Dionysus is the one causing your physical reaction," Apolline replied in a respectful manner. "I too doubted him at first, but now I have accepted the truth of his divine nature."

"I wish to have a private conversation with your young god here. Leave us," the ancient witch commanded. The Veela knew she was overmatched, and with a nod from Harry she retreated to the waiting arms of a naked werewolf.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Harry asked politely.

"When Nicholas heard from his sources among the Veela that you were impersonating a god, he just had to see this farce for himself," Perenelle said as she glanced over her husband, who was thrusting away at a rapid pace.

Her condescending attitude reminded Harry of Dumbledore, and after the events of the day that was a mistake on her part. "Break your wand in half."

A few seconds later Perenelle looked down at the two pieces of her wand. After the shock wore off she cast a wandless Stinging Hex at Harry, but with his magically resistant skin he barely felt it. At times like this he really wished that Voldemort and Dumbledore were witches instead of wizards. If that was the case, this stupid war would be over in an hour.

Perenelle studied him for over a minute before speaking again. "I went back and watched our first encounter in a Pensieve several times. I thought you were using some unknown version of the Imperius Curse on me, but that wasn't the case, was it? Who taught you this new... lust technique, and how did you learn to master it at such a young age?"

"It's a long story, and one that I don't feel like sharing. Now if you and your husband have just come to the Forbidden Forest to stare at my traveling freak show, then our business is at an end."

"Don't be a silly child. You have magical knowledge we want, and Nicolas has many treasures that might be of great interest to you. So we trade. That has always been the way of the world."

"If you and your husband kill Voldemort for me, I will tell you everything you could possible want to know about the new Lord Dionysus."

Perenelle let out a rich laugh. "Nicholas and I didn't last six centuries by picking fights with Dark Lords."

"So even you two aren't powerful enough to beat him?" Harry asked in despair.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's not a chance we are willing to take," she admitted, not at all ashamed of her cowardice. "What about Albus? We could help you there if you are having any trouble with the overbearing prick."

"You aren't willing to fight Voldemort, so why are you willing to fight against Dumbledore?"

"I didn't say we would **fight** our good friend Albus, but he does own Nicholas and me several favors," Perenelle explained. "We wouldn't mind twisting his arm, if that would help you."

"I doubt it will it will work, but why not?"

After making arrangements for a meeting the next day, Perenelle wanted to see the notorious werewolf queen she had heard so much about. Despite her vast age Mrs Flamel still had a fine figure, and she had no problem fitting in with the group of naked Veela and werewolves surrounding Angelina. Normally Harry would have stayed to watch, but on this particular night he just wanted to get back to his broodmares. He found only two of them waiting for him. Three if you count Tonks, who was still passed out on the floor.

"Hermione and Padma took the little Weasley back to Hogwarts," Su explained.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "I am surprise they didn't stay, and rip each other's clothes off. Usually my Ecstasy has that effect on them."

"Trust me, they wanted to. However Padma felt they needed to serve a penance for exposing Ginny to so many of our secrets, and Hermione agreed with her."

"Oh really, and what penance will you serve?"

"I'm going to stay... while you make love to Luna."

"That's not going to happen."

"Potter, stop being such an idiot and look at her," Su said quietly. "She needs you, and you need her."

Harry finally did take a long look at Luna. To his horror he saw that she was twitching and trembling like a patient at an insane asylum. He and Su had developed a limited immunity to the effects of his Ecstasy, but this was Luna's first real exposure. The honorable thing would be to take her back to Hogwarts, but after two cold-blooded murders in one day he didn't have any honor left.

"Luna, are you sure this is what you want?"

She never answered his question, but her actions that night spoke volumes. He wanted to be gentle, but Luna was having none of it. Her passion made Harry realize that his earlier plan to find her a husband was pointless. She would never leave him for another wizard, and he didn't have the strength needed to push her away. No matter how much pain it caused her, Luna Lovegood would always be part of his life.

* * *

The peace talks did not get off to a promising start the next morning. It didn't take much to figured out who was responsible for the attack on Knockturn Alley and for the death of Severus Snape. As a result Dumbledore was livid. If he wasn't so determined to use the Boy-Who-Lived as bait for his trap, Harry honestly thought the Headmaster would have killed him on the spot.

"Mr Potter, the Ministry of Magic is in an uproar over these attacks. Did you stop even for a moment to consider the consequences of your actions? You have started a war with several of the oldest pureblood families in Europe."

Harry looked over at Perenelle. "I told you this is pointless."

"Mind your tongue!" Dumbledore snarled as he loomed threateningly over his young student. "I know you had a hand in the death of Severus Snape and Alexander Nott. With a single Floo call to Minister Fudge, I could have you rotting in Azkaban for the rest of your short life!"

After this outburst Nicolas Flamel got up, walked over to his old friend, and kicked him square in the testicles. "And to think that I once had such high hopes for you," he remarked as Dumbledore fell over.

The jolly little wizard then sat back down. "Harry, let me tell you a story about one of the most repulsive wizards I ever had the misfortune to meet: Gellert Grindelwald. As a wizard he never accomplished anything besides getting kicked out of that dung heap Durmstrang, yet he believe that the world was crying out for his brilliant leadership. And who was stupid enough to sign on to his wicked crusade but my good friend Albus here."

"Are you telling me the greatest hero in the magical world actually worked with the Dark Lord Grindelwald before he defeated him in their famous duel?" a shocked Harry asked.

"Not only did Albus work with Gellert Grindelwald, he was also his lover. The two planned on taking over the world, and not just the magical part of it either. They were going to establish a New World Order. They and their fellow wizards would enslave the muggles—all one and a half billion of them. Their political alliance only fell apart when Grindelwald killed Albus' sister Ariana."

Harry looked over at his Headmaster only to see him sobbing.

"Pathetic," Nicolas sneered. "Being an Englishmen, I'm sure you know all about the Second War World. By nineteen forty-three the outcome of that hellish nightmare had pretty much been decided, so in desperation Hitler turned to a wizard in hopes of a miracle. There was no way Grindelwald could have changed the outcome of the war, but he was still glad to take the opportunity Hitler was offering him."

"What do you mean there was no way that wizards could have changed the outcome of the war?" Harry asked. "We have our magic."

"I see you're not very bright," Nicolas remarked. "Tell me, what are the most powerful spells we wizards have?"

"I don't know, probably the three Unforgivable Curses," Harry replied.

"Let's take them one at a time. The Killing Curse—which only a few wizards can actually cast—was a velocity of seven meters per second. A bullet leaving a Lee-Enfield Rifle has a velocity of over seven-hundred meters per second, and there were hundreds of thousands of them in use. And these rifles were just the tip of the iceberg. There were also tanks, aeroplanes, and my personal favorite: the atomic bomb."

"Let's move on to the second Unforgivable. The Cruciatus Curse is a child's toy compared to the horrors unleashed by the muggles in their prisons. Plus they have a superior understanding of human psychology, which makes their methods of torture more effective than ours. Any pain we could caused the muggles would have been returned to us a hundredfold."

"The Imperious Curse was by far the greatest threat," Nicolas conceded. "But even that would have been of limited use against a modern bureaucratic nation like the United Kingdom or the United States. If the politicians or generals of those countries started giving irrational and self-destructive orders they would have been relieved of duty. If this happened repeatedly, the magical world would have been exposed in short order. In reality there would have been no way for wizards to have changed the outcome of the war without exposing ourselves, and exposing ourselves would have meant certain destruction."

"Really?" Harry asked. "Couldn't we sabotage their armies using Portkeys and Apparition?"

"Potter, you lived with the muggles for ten years. Do you know how to sabotage one of their armies?"

"No."

"Most purebloods I know are too stupid to use a light switch, so answer your own question. Now as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me, Grindelwald took advantage of the situation to start his own personal war of conquest. Given the chaos of the times it went well for him. Grindelwald was a powerful wizard, and he managed to kill dozens of Aurors who were sent to capture with him. There was only one real hope for defeating him, and that was his former paramour. However Albus refused to take the field for several years. Why was that?" Nicolas asked Dumbledore, who was still sobbing.

"Because I loved him," he whispered. "I still do."

"With the rise of a second Dark Lord, Dumbledore tried to correct his mistakes. But his Order of the Phoenix was no match for the Death Eaters," Nicolas continued. "If not for the brilliance of your mother Lily Potter, by my estimate Voldemort would have seized control of the United Kingdom by no later than nineteen eighty-four."

"This is all very interesting, but what does that have to do with the fact that he's planning on sacrificing me like an albino goat?" Harry asked.

"The point of my story is that once again Albus is acting like an incompetent idiot," Nicolas explained. "Instead of seeking-out Voldemort and killing him, he is sitting on his bony arse while people all around him are dying."

"I agree," Perenelle said. "Albus, if you want to challenge Voldemort to a duel, no one is trying to stop you. But leave the boy out of it."

"What about Mr Potter's other crimes?" Dumbledore asked.

Nicolas rolled his eyes in disgust. "It is called fighting a war. Your goal is to provoke Voldemort into attacking, and Potter's resent actions are sure to do that. For the love of Merlin stop complaining and start helping him."

"I don't want his bloody help," Harry said. "I just want him to leave me and my friends alone until the end of the Triwizard Tournament. After that, you'll never hear from us again."

"Albus, if you agree to Potter's request I will throw in a nice gift for Voldemort," Perenelle said with a nasty smile. "I'm sure he'll love it."

* * *

After returning to Hogwarts later that Sunday Harry met with the Slytherin members of the Defense Club. He wasn't sure how long his truce with Dumbledore was going to last, or if it was really a truce at all. How much influence did the Flamels have over their so-called friend?

"I take it you've heard about the attacks on Voldemort's followers."

"Don't say his name out loud," Daphne cried. "Is it true what they are saying around the castle? Is Professor Snape really dead?"

"Yes, he's dead," Harry replied.

"That sucks," Millie said philosophically. "But what does this have to do with us? Our families might be purebloods, but we have never actively supported You-Know-Who."

"That is no longer good enough. I want you all to send word to your families that neutrality isn't going to cut it like it did back during the seventies. If they are not actively fighting against the **Dark Lord**, then they will be seen as his supporters. That means they will be considered legitimate targets by my side," Harry explained.

"That's not fair," Pansy complained. "All we want to do is survive this war with our hides intact."

"Tell that to my parents. Oh wait—they're dead," Harry snarled. "Just give your families the message, and tell them to spread the word. This weekend was just the start."


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

The truce with Dumbledore last for less than a day. Monday morning Kingsley Shacklebolt and a half-dozen Aurors marched into the Hogwarts Library where the Ravenclaws were trying to catch-up with their schoolwork. Harry was browsing the dusty stacks with Su, and he was just about to literally fly the coop when he noticed they weren't here just for him. The Head of Magical Law Enforcement had a huge smirk on his face as the Aurors placed manacles on a stunned Hermione and Luna.

"Go now!" Su hissed.

"I can't let them face Azkaban alone, and that's exactly why Dumbledore did it. You and Padma are relatively safe because of your powerful families, but you **must** leave the United Kingdom as soon as you can," Harry whispered before pulling her in for a kiss. He then walking out into the open. "Hey you big bald arse, I'm the one you're looking for."

Goaded by the insult, Shacklebolt cursed the Boy-Who-Lived right in front of a room full of witnesses. But thanks to Harry's ritually enhanced skin it didn't hurt, and his ability to shrug off a powerful curse unnerved several of the Aurors. Even with the odds in their favor he saw the doubt and fear in their eyes.

Dumbledore's chief enforcer was made of sterner stuff though. "By order of Minister Cornelius Fudge I am placing you under arrest for the murder of Severus Snape and Alexander Nott."

Harry kept his mouth shut as the Aurors restrained him with the same manacles they used on Hermione and Luna. They made it impossible for him to Apparate or fly. "Is there going to be a trial in London where we can defend ourselves, or are we going straight to Azkaban?" he finally asked as the two witches began sobbing.

"Azkaban, and good luck defending yourself," Shacklebolt replied. "Headmaster Dumbledore has provided the Ministry with conclusive evidence that you have been conspiring with the Veela and the werewolf packs for the past several months."

So that was Dumbledore's game. Here at Hogwarts Harry was protected. By the Veela and the werewolves, by the unicorns and the centaurs, by the Forbidden Forest itself, by the Flamels, and mostly importantly by the public that adored their famous teenage hero. It the middle of the North Sea he would be stripped of all that protection, which would make him an easy target for Voldemort. The fact the Dark Lord could control the Dementors made it even more likely he would try to assassinate Harry on the island prison. It was an excellent trap—from Dumbledore's point of view.

_What a moron_, Harry thought to himself as he gave Su one last wink. The Dementors feared his Charisma, so they wouldn't be a problem. Still, he needed to talk to his legal guardian as soon as possible. If Andromeda Tonks was allowed to visit Azkaban he could use her to pass messages to the Veela. He was sure Apolline would have some brilliant idea how to get her Lord Dionysus to safety.

Dumbledore came to gloat as the Aurors lead the three young prisoners through the castle. "Mr Potter, I hope that in the short time you have left you will come to see the necessity of this morning's events."

"Sacrificing me—that I can understand. But arresting Hermione and Luna? All you have done this morning is sign your own death warrant," Harry said calmly. "Guess what Shacklebolt, you aren't long for this world either."

"You are in no position to make threats Mr Potter, since you can no longer hide behind your friends," Dumbledore remarked. "The Veela and the werewolves have been declared Dark Creatures by the Ministry of Magic, and it is now legal to use deadly force in their capture. I told you that your association with those groups would lead them to disaster, and so it has."

"Now I can understand now why you and the Dark Lord Grindelwald got along so well. You can justify any action—no make morally reprehensible—so long as it serves your ends."

"You vile little hypocrite," Dumbledore snarled as the mask of a kindly old wizard fell away. "I know all about lies you have told the Veela. You falsely proclaim yourself a god, and then have the audacity to condemn me?"

Harry smiled. "I am a god, and not the warm and cuddly Christian god of today's world. We Greek gods... we believe in divine punishments of the worst sort."

Dumbledore, Shacklebot, the Auors, and even Hermione and Luna were all taken aback by his words. To be honest so was Harry. But he meant what he said. He **would** survive Azkaban. He would see Voldemort and Dumbledore dead, and afterwards he would piss on their unlamented graves. If doing all that required a god, then a god is what he would be.

After a few moments the Headmaster regained his balance. "It is fitting that you should die at Tom Riddle's hands. You are both monsters, and you shall both meet your ends on that horrible island. Take them away."

* * *

"What would you like to talk about, my love?" Fleur asked.

William sent her a Patronus message asking for a meeting here on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and she hoped he finally bought her an engagement ring. A beautiful and expensive engagement ring.

"There is something you need to see with your own eyes," William said as he watched the entrance of the castle. "Look over there: Potter and his Ravenclaw friends are being taken away by the Aurors."

Fleur was shocked to see Harry, Hermione, and Luna being lead away from Hogwarts in chains. She was just about to attempt a foolish rescue mission when the Aurors and their three prisoners vanished at the edge of the defensive wards. The furious Veela turned on her lover at once. "How did you know my Lord Dionysus was going to be arrested, and why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"Potter is no more a god than I am," William said in disgust. "But that's not important now. What's important is that the Ministry of Magic has authorized the arrest of all the Veela currently in the country. They're also hunting down the werewolves. You and your mother have to return to France before the Aurors find you."

Although Fleur Delacour was incredible beautiful, she was also incredible intelligent when she bothered to use her brain. In a flash the entire tactical situation became clear to her, and she knew what she had to do. She grabbed William's hand and dragged him deeper into the forest until they reached several of the sentries who were on guard duty that morning.

"I must see my mother at once."

At the same time that Fleur was speaking she was also flashing her fellow Veela a hand signal with a simple message: "this outsider can not be trusted". The sentries were skilled warriors, and they had William stunned before his fingers could touch his wand, let alone draw it.

"What is going on here Miss Delacour? We saw you making love with this wizard all weekend long."

"Our Lord Dionysus has been arrested, and the local Aurors also intend to arrest the Veela and our werewolf allies," Fleur explained.

Five minutes later she repeated this shocking news to her mother and Angelina Johnson. Rather than explode in anger, the Strategos began issuing a steady stream of orders. The forest clearing quickly became a beehive of activity as the metal walls of the fort were magically disassembled and stacked in neat piles for transport by Portkey.

"Angelina, you have a decision to make," Apolline told the werewolf as the large piles disappeared one by one. "The Veela own a small island off the coast of Spain, and per my Lord's instructions I am willing to make it available to your packs during this crisis. Or you can stay here in the United Kingdom and fight the Aurors on your own terms."

"It seems wrong to just run away," Angelina admitted. "But as a leader I have to place the safety of my werewolves before my personal desire for bloodshed."

"There might be some hope for you yet," Apolline said with a rare smile. "Distribute the Portkeys to your werewolves quickly. I want to be gone before these foolish Aurors even think about setting up anti-transportation wards around the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest."

Less than twenty minutes after Fleur arrived at the fort only a dozen Veela warriors remained, along with one unconscious wizard who was bound by magical rope. At this point Apolline finally spoke to her daughter, whom she had ignored up until this point.

"It is clear that William Weasley betrayed Lord Dionysus to Albus Dumbledore, and his actions have also placed the Veela at risk. How should we proceed?"

"There is only one acceptable punishment his crimes," Fleur replied as she fought back the tears.

"Shall I carry out his sentence?" Apolline asked.

"No mother, the responsibility is mine and mine alone."

Fleur was then handed a large neck ring by one of the warriors. Similar to the torc worn by ancient Celtic barbarians of Europe, the ring was made of several strands of metal twisted together. Each metal strand was inscribed with dozens of runes, making it impossible for the slave to remove. And that it what William Weasley would be from this day forward: a slave. He would serve the Veela in whatever fashion they saw fit until his death.

"There is nothing more we can do for our Lord Dionysus by remaining here," Apolline declared after Fleur magically placed the large ring on the neck of her former lover. "Let us leave this wretched country, and return home to the Enclave. From there we will organize a rescue mission."

* * *

Less than an hour after Harry Potter was taken away from Hogworts, Lord Voldemort was receiving a status report from Elizabeth Edgecombe in an abandoned muggle warehouse in London. The witch was a relatively minor bureaucrat, but her job as the Head of the Floo Network allowed her to gather a great deal of classified information. Information she then passed on to her master.

"You truly believe that Dumbledore had a role in Potter's arrest?"

"Yes, my Lord," the terrified witch answered as she knelt before him. "After the trial of Sirius Black, Minister Fudge began to distance himself from Dumbledore, but since Amelia Bones' death the two wizards have been in daily contact. The Chief Warlock is also supporting Fudge during debates in the Wizengamot again."

The idea of Dumbledore betraying the Boy-Who-Lived seemed absurd to Voldemort, but so did many things he encountered since his rebirth on the Winter Solstice. Even after his unsuccessful attempt to kill Potter at Hogwarts a few years ago, he still dismissed the brat as nothing more than a squib. Then came the awful news that the "squib" had killed the basilisk hidden in the Chamber of Secrets, and Fenrir Greyback less than a year later. The insane werewolf had been more useful to the Dark Lord than a dozen of his Death Eaters.

While eliminating Amelia Bones had been personally satisfying, the real target during the raid on Malfoy Manor had been this young werewolf queen. Voldemort knew from his sources that Angelina Johnson was charismatic, but she was still just a teenager. Once she was dead the leaderless werewolf packs would again rally to his banner. But somehow the bitch had escaped, and now her beasts had declared war on him.

Adding to his problems was the loss of the giants, who were locked away behind powerful wards in North America and well beyond even his long reach. And thanks to a crusade started by some insane witch from Asia, the vampires had been forced out of Western Europe. They were now cowering in their ancestral home of Transylvania, and the ambassador he sent to the blood-sucking parasites had been dismissed without the courtesy of a formal meeting.

He was also troubled by the attack on Knockturn Alley and the loss of several of his few remaining Death Eaters. During the seventies his personal army had numbered well over a hundred élite wizards and witches, but now he could muster less than thirty of mediocre quality. The remaining purebloods were hiding behind their wards—afraid of facing Albus Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix in open battle.

All and all, the Dark Lord found himself in an abysmal strategic situation, but with Harry Potter now locked up in Azkaban that would quickly change. Originally he had planned on publicly killing the squib at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, but a raid on Azkaban was an easier prospect than a direct attack on Hogwarts and its ancient wards.

Voldemort figured he could seize control of the prison, kill Harry Potter, and recruit some much-needed foot soldiers from the criminals being kept there. The whole affair would take less than an hour from beginning to end, and he would be gone before any reinforcements could arrive from the Ministry of Magic. Yes, such a bold strike would revitalized his movement and convince the pureblood fools of his inevitable victory.

"Elizabeth my child, I need you to sabotage the Floo Network for about ninety minutes. How long will it take you to arrange that for me?"

"My Lord, I will need at least three days."

"You have one."

* * *

While Hermione was taking her stay at Azkaban reasonably well, Luna was a complete wreck. During their first night on the island they were kept in three separate cells, and Harry had only been able to persuade a female guard to put them together the next morning. This meant Luna had been subjected to the Dementors for several hours despite his explicit command to leave her alone. It seemed that the foul creatures would gladly kill for him, but otherwise they ignored his commands.

"How is she?" Hermione asked.

"The same," Harry said as he looked down at Luna, who was wrapped around him so tightly she was cutting off his circulation. "I don't understand. Padfoot told us that spending the night in your Animagus form was suppose to help fight off the effects of the Dementors."

"It did help... but only to a limited degree. I was still terrified."

Rather than adding anything to the conversation, Luna simply started shaking. She must have spent the whole night reliving her mother's death. "Andromeda better get here soon. We need to get Luna out of this place."

"That guard said she would be visiting us today. Do you think they will release us on bail until the trial starts?" Hermione asked in a hopefully voice. She was doing better than Luna, but this experience was still an ordeal. Going to the loo in front of her boyfriend was particular humiliating for the young witch.

"I doubt the Ministry of Magic even knows what bail is," Harry replied. He saw no sense in sugar-coating the situation for her.

During the next few hours Harry repeatedly thought about making an escape attempt, but the ratio of wizards to witches here at Azkaban was about ten-to-one. That meant any witch who tried to help him would be attacked by her male colleagues. His experience with Luna showed that the Dementors couldn't be trusted either. Hermione agreed with his analysis. She thought it made more sense bide their time, and wait for a better opportunity.

"Potter! Your legal guardian is here," one of the few female Aurors on Azkaban said as she opened the cell door later that evening.

"Wotcher Blackie," Andromeda whispered as she stepped into the damp and smelly cell. "I need a few minutes alone with the prisoners."

The Auror looked very uncomfortable with that idea. "Minister Fudge and Auror Shacklebolt left us specific orders..."

"Leave," Harry said quietly as his Charisma overwhelmed the witch. Once the door was closed he asked: "I'm glad to see my favorite jockey, but why are you here instead of Andromeda?"

"We're going to play a good old-fashion shell game with the Aurors," Tonks said as she began to take off her mother's face and dress robes. "The security around you is so tight they wouldn't even let me keep my wand, so I had to use an unorthodox method to smuggle in the supplies we need. I suggest you close your eyes, because this won't be pleasant to watch."

Harry refused, and he would have nightmares about what followed for the rest of his life. "Tonks, how did you manage to fit something that size in there?" he asked in a shaky voice as Hermione turned around and vomited.

"Very carefully. As a fellow Metamorphmagus you know that we can shift the placement of our internal organs to a limited degree."

"Yeah, but it's really painful."

"Tell me about," Tonks said as she placed a **very large** Mokeskin pouch on the dirty floor of the cell and started unpacking.

"Now here is the plan: Hermione is going to take this Polyjuice Potion made with my mum's hair, and I will take the form of the guard outside. That's why it took so long to put this all together—we had to wait until a female Auror was on duty. Once we are ready Hermione and I will walk right out the front door, and take the boat back to the mainland. Your blonde friends are waiting there with an international Portkey that will get us to France. While we're going out the front door, you and Luna will be making your way up to the roof once I cut off those manacles. You can fly her to the mainland, can't you?" Tonks asked.

"I sure hope so," Harry muttered. "What about the Goblet of Fire?"

Tonks smiled for the first time since she entered the cell. "Your friend Millicent Bulstrode has that covered. She was very eager to help. I know from experience that you're good in bed, but you must have given that witch the shag of her life."

"Harry James Potter!" Hermione yelled. "You and Tonks? She is much too old for you."

"Keep your voice down," Harry growled. "Do you have a pair of goggles? It's a bad idea for me to fly without them."

"I know—Su Li gave a very specific shopping list. Here are two sets of goggles, two leather coats, and a huge Invisibility Cloak," Tonks said as she continued to empty the contents of the Mokeskin pouch. "The Cloak isn't of the best quality, but it should be enough for a short trip to the mainland. Alright Hermione: strip, drink that vial of Polyjuice Potion, and then get into my mum's robes."

"This is so embarrassing. Why do I have to do this?"

"Because you are older, so you should be able to play the part of my mum better than Luna," Tonks explained. "I love her with all my heart, but Andromeda Tonks _nee_ Black does have a giant stick up her arse just like you do."

"I do not have a stick up my arse," Hermione hissed.

"Plus you're fatter than Luna."

"We don't have time for this nonsense," Harry snapped. "Apologize."

"I'm sorry Hermione, but Luna is at least five kilograms lighter than you. At least that is what Su and Padma said."

"I am going to kill those two," Hermione said as she took off her dirty clothes. "I smell like Ronald Weasley at the end of a hot spring day. I'm sure you have a wand in that Mokeskin pouch, so please hit me with a Scouring Charm."

Along with all the other supplies Tonks had packed a large collection of old wands, and now she dumped them on the floor. "Go through these and find one that respnds to your magic."

Luckily Hermione and Luna were able to find wands that (barely) worked. After a few carefully cast spells they were all clean and free of their manacles. Harry called the guard back to the cell. Once she was inside Tonks and Hermione quickly stunned her, and then stripped her naked. Tonks put on the Auror's uniform, while Hermione dressed the poor witch in Harry's clothes. (There had been a spare outfit for him in the Mokeskin pouch.) Soon the four of them were as ready as they were ever going to be. Luna still looked like a wreck, but all she had to do was hang on while he flew them back the mainland.

"Why are we using her as a decoy?" Harry asked as Hermione carefully poured another vial of Polyjuice Potion containing his black hair down the throat of the unconscious witch.

"The longer we keep this whole charade going, the better chance we have of making it out of the country alive," Tonks explained. "Now here is the map that shows you the way up to the roof."

"Please be safe," Hermione said as she hugged her two friends with Andromeda's taller body. Harry then wrapped the Invisibility Cloak around Luna, and started jogging towards a nearby set of stairs.

The walk down to the main entrance for Tonks and Hermione was quite long, since the three prisoners had been kept in the section of Azkaban with the tightest security. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until they saw Dumbledore and Shacklebolt talking with several of the other Aurors.

"Hermione, make a scene while I'm dragging you outside," Tonks whispered. "The more emotional you are, the harder it will be for Dumbledore to use Legilimency on you."

"You fucking bastard!" Hermione/Andromeda screamed at the top of her lungs. "I won't stop until the entire magical world knows what a fraud you are Albus Dumbledore, and how you sent three innocent schoolchildren to prison for your own twisted ends!"

Tonks had been right. Rather than deal with the irate Andromeda, the Headmaster simply ignored her. Instead of pressing their luck the pair quickly made their way to the docks. Their small boat left the island a few minutes later.

* * *

"There they go," Harry said from the stone roof of Azkaban. The view of the North Sea was impressive, but neither he nor Luna were in the mood to enjoy it. "Let's wait until they are a bit further away. If I can't carry us both, we might have to crash-land on that boat and hope that no one notices."

"We will make it. I know we will," Luna said as she clung to his side.

While they were waiting, Harry noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A trio of authentic Viking longships emerging from beneath the waves of the North Sea, just like the ship that brought Viktor Krum and the Durmstrang students to Hogwarts. In less than a minute they reached the shore of the island, and the first person on dry ground was a tall, pasty-white wizard with a bald head.

"Look," Luna said as she pointed to the other side of the island. Three more longships were come up out of the waves. While the figures in the white masks were obviously Death Eaters, something seemed terrible wrong with the other passengers.

"Those things are Inferi," Luna whispered. "I'm sure of it."

"It's time for us to get the hell out of here," Harry said as he took to the sky at a hundred kilometers per hour.


	27. Chapter 27

**Author's Note**: I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again.

* * *

Both Padma and Hermione hated flying with Harry, and Su only tolerated it because it allowed her to enjoy some kinky sex. Luna on the other hand loved it, and squealed with delight during the entire flight back to the mainland. The tiny witch was so loud that she actually caused Harry's ears to ring.

"That was incredible!" Luna declared as they landed on a cold and deserted Scottish beach where the real Andromeda Tonks was waiting for them.

"Where is Nymphadora? Were there any problems?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," Harry replied. "Your daughter and Hermione are on their way here, but Voldemort is attacking Azkaban with six Viking longships full of Death Eaters and Inferi. Tonks told us about the Portkey to France, but where exactly are we going?"

"Your friends the Flamels have a Château not far from Calais, and we'll stop there before moving on to the Veela Enclave. The Portkey we'll be using is illegal. That means all five of us have to go together, so that we can avoid detection by the Ministry of Magic," Andromeda explained. "Can't you go back out to the boat, and pick Nymphadora up? The longer we wait here, the greater the chance that someone will realize that you've escaped from Azkaban and come looking for us."

"I can only carry one witch at a time, but I suppose it's better than just waiting here in the open. Wish me luck," Harry said as he put his goggles on and headed out to sea. The trip only took a few minutes, but flying without a passenger was easier than carrying even the lightest of witches.

"Blackie, what the bloody hell are you doing here?" a furious Tonks asked as he gracefully landed on the small magical boat. It had no visible means of propulsion or crew, but it could made the long trip from Azkaban to the mainland in less than a half hour. "Voldemort has an entire army attacking Azkaban, and I didn't shove a Mokeskin pouch up my…"

"Please don't say it."

"... fine, up my **You-Know-What** just so you could get arrested again."

"Getting arrested is not on my agenda. All I'm going to do is take Hermione back to the mainland, and then I will come back for you. Then we can all go to France, and live happily ever after."

"I think that would be a mistake," Hermione said. "I think you should go back to Azkaban."

"Granger, are you crazy?" Tonks asked. "Voldemort and Dumbledore are on the island, and they both want to kill the father of my future children."

"Wait a minute. Are you telling me that Dumbledore is on island?"

"Yes, we saw him and Kingsley Shacklebolt talking with a group of Aurors as we were leaving," Hermione explained. "Voldemort will be busy dueling them, which means he won't be ready when you force the Dementors to attack him from behind."

"That might actually work, especially if Perenelle Flamel kept her word. According to the bloody Prophecy I do have to kill the bastard, so why not today?"

Before Tonks could object this crazy plan Harry was in the air, wrapped in dodgy Invisibility Cloak, and flying towards the prison he just escaped from. As he got closer he saw that Perenelle had indeed kept her word. All the Inferi Voldemort brought with him on those six longships had gone completely bananas.

According to Perenelle, Voldemort was a mediocre necromancer at best. Several weeks ago she noticed that certain rare magical artifacts had gone missing from the Continent—artifacts that were needed to create an army of the undead. To counter this threat she gave Dumbledore an ancient Egyptian orb which would disrupt Voldemort's control over his Inferi. This orb didn't destroy the Inferi, but without guidance they would kill anyone or anything in their path. That included the unlucky Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.

And the Inferi weren't the only ones running amuck all over Azkaban. The Aurors who normally controlled the Dementors were either fighting for their lives or already dead. Without anyone to control them, the soul-sucking demons were having a feast. They were even trying to Kiss the Inferi, although without any success.

In the middle of all this chaos the two giants of the magical world were dueling, and it was a sight to behold. Dumbledore was magically manufacturing an army of transfigured beasts and golems, as his phoenix Fawkes kept dozens of Dementors at bay with a hauntingly beautiful birdsong. Despite this onslaught, Voldemort's endless stream of curses were forcing the older wizard to give ground. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody were already dead, and none of the other Aurors seemed interested in helping their former Headmaster.

Harry figured this would be the best chance he was going ever to get, even if it meant saving Dumbledore's sorry arse. He landed a short distance from the duel, and then sent a powerful burst of his Charisma across the entire island. From the sound of the Dementors' horrific screams he figured that he had their full attention.

"Kill the tall one in the black robes, or I will hurt you again," Harry told the nearest Dementor.

Slowly it and its fellow demons began drifting en masse towards the dueling wizards. Unfortunately Hermione's brilliant plan didn't work. Voldemort saw the attack coming, and he showed why other wizards were too frightened to even speak his name. With a subtle twist of his wrist a thick beam of black light emerged from his wand and struck the nearest Dementor. The demons were suppose to be impossible to kill, but the strange black light utterly destroyed it. Harry wasn't the only one shocked by this display of the Dark Arts. Dumbledore froze, and that moment of hesitation cost him his life. Voldemort cast a blindingly fast Killing Curse, and the second most powerful wizard in the world fell to the ground dead.

The Dementors were terrified of Voldemort's ability to destroy them, and they began to flee. Harry thought this was a terrible idea, so again he sent out a burst of his Charisma. For the next twenty minutes the two wizards fought an odd sort of long-distance duel. Voldemort would kill a number of the Dementors until they retreated, but then Harry would force them to attack again.

There was also the matter of the Inferi: now that they had killed all the Aurors and Death Eaters on Azkaban, they turned on Voldemort. The Dark Lord summoned a serpent of pure fire and began to dispatch his own creations before they could overwhelm him with their numbers. This carnage continued unabated until pretty much everything on the island was dead. Or at least deader. Finally Voldemort was the only one left standing, and he let out a primal scream of rage before falling to his knees in exhaustion.

With a simply cutting curse Harry could have ended the war right then-and-there, but even this basic magic was beyond his limited abilities. He considered bashing Voldemort's head in with a rock, but the wizard's reflexes were superhumanly fast. (That wasn't surprising, since his new body wasn't human either.) In the end Harry decided that any direct attack would be tantamount to suicide, and he didn't want to die. At least not yet.

A few minutes passed before Voldemort finally got to his feet. Harry began to follow him as he entered the towering stone prison. Inside there were more bodies, and he had to float in the air to avoid all the blood on the floor. The Dark Lord began to ascend the stairs, and he soon reached Harry's former cell. The female guard was still unconscious and still trapped in the body of a fourteen year-old boy thanks to the Polyjuice Potion Hermione had poured down her throat.

"I had such plans for you Harry Potter, but without an audience it all seems like a foolish waste of time," Voldemort said quietly before casually decapitating the imposter. "I will just have to settle for displaying your head in Diagon Alley next to Dumbledore's."

* * *

Andromeda warned them that traveling by international Portkey was rough, and she was right. Harry landed at a bad angle and broke his left arm, while Luna was unable to walk thanks to a twisted ankle. Luckily Xenophilius Lovegood was waiting nearby, and the sobbing wizard quickly carried his injured daughter off to the Flamel's grand Château.

"Potter, you look like shite and you smell even worse," Su said as Padma ran her wand over his injured arm. "But I'm glad you're still alive."

"How is the arm?" Harry asked.

"I can heal it now if you want me to," Padma told him. "But without any pain relief potions it will be painful."

"Go ahead, I'm used to it. Apolline, what is the situation here in France?" Harry asked as the healing spell sent a wave of pain shooting up his arm and throughout his body.

"The coastline facing the the English Channel is heavily warded, which is why your trip was so unpleasant," the Veela Strategos explained. "If Dumbledore or Voldemort manage to breach those wards, they will be facing the entire French Auror Corp, as well as our warriors."

"Dumbledore is dead," Harry whispered.

He had always hated the old wizard for ruining his life and his magic, but he felt no joy at the moment. Only fear. For the past four years Dumbledore had been a stong shield against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but now that shield was gone. Compared to that stark reality, his desire for revenge seemed childish and petty.

"I suggest we continue this debriefing in one of the Chateau's lovely marble bathtubs," Su said as she helped her boyfriend to his feet with Padma's help.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you two doing here?" Harry asked. "Shouldn't you be back in China and India?"

"Perenelle Flamel told our parents she would look after us for a few weeks. The prospect of doing business in the future with such a famous and wealthy witch ws so tempting, they were happy to agree," Padma explained.

"Do they know we're going to the Veela Enclave?"

"No, they think we're enrolling at Beauxbatons next year," Su admitted. "But don't worry about it. I'm sure the Veela Elders will be able to work out a deal with our families and their business associates here in Europe."

It was a good thing the bathtub they lead Harry to was so large, because it ended up holding five people: him, Su, Padma, Hermione, and Tonks. That last addition made Su bristle, but she held her tongue. In a few short sentences he described the final victory of Voldemort over his rival on Azkaban.

"So the great Albus Dumbledore is finally gone," Apolline mused as she sat beside the bathtub fully clothed. "Without his leadership it will be difficult to rally the ICW to our cause. In fact it might be impossible."

"I'm sure we will think of something," Harry said in a dreamy voice. Being washed by four sets of hands was a wonderful sensation. "When do we move to the Enclave?"

"My Lord, I would prefer to deal the Goblet of Fire before we make a trip of that distance. There might be severe consequences if we travel too far away from Hogwarts while you and Fleur are still under its influence," Apolline explained.

"I thought Millie had the Goblet situation under control."

"She does, but it will take her some time to smuggle it out of the United Kingdom," Su explained as she began to wash his dirty hair. "Her message said she would meet us here in Calais in a few days. The city has a small magical district with several nice restaurants."

Harry closed his eyes, and tried to think. Killing Voldemort was going to be even more difficult than he originally thought, so how to do it? He needed time to figure that out. Unfortunately Voldemort would soon learn that he was still alive, and when that happened he would follow Harry here to France to finish the job. Sybill Trelawney's prophecy demanded it.

"Apolline, in your opinion how do the other magical governments of the world view Voldemort?" Harry asked as he reluctantly opened his eyes.

"A small minority supported his anti-muggle ideology, but his ruthlessness caused most to oppose him and his mad ambitions during the last war."

"Will they be willing to declare war against him this time around?"

"There is no chance of that," the Veela replied bluntly. "Magical wars are destructive, and thus extremely unpopular with most wizards and witches."

"What about a blockade? Would that be any more popular?"

Su stopped washing his hair long enough to slap him upside the head. "Potter, a lot of wizards—including my father and Padma's father—rely on trade with the United Kingdom. The ICW would never agree to a blockade."

"You think it will be business as usual with Voldemort in charge?" Harry asked. "He isn't even a human being any more, so how can your father and his business associates trust him?"

"My Lord, your friend Miss Li is right. A blockade of any kind is simply out of the question," Apolline said. "However thanks to your efforts Voldemort is in a weak strategic position. He might be willing to sign a peace treaty with the ICW."

"A peace treaty which he would then break after he recruits more Death Eaters."

"That may be true, but it's the best we can hope for at this stage."

"Fine," Harry muttered. "I want every Veela in the world using their contacts to build support for this scheme at the ICW. That is a direct order from your Lord Dionysus."

"I will send the messages out at once," Apolline said. She then bowed and left the bathroom.

"Do you think this idea of a treaty will work?" Padma asked as she grabbed Hermione from behind, and dragged her over to the far side of the tub.

"I don't know," Harry admitted as he watched the pair with interest. One of Padma's hands began lathering up Hermione's small breasts, while her other hand disappeared beneath the soapy water. "But what I **do** know is that none of us can defeat Voldemort. I watched him killed Albus Dumbledore, an army of Inferi, and every single Dementor on Azkaban in less than an hour. All by himself."

"We can worry about this mess tomorrow," Tonks said as she straddled him. "It has been a long day. Right now I need to relax, and so do you."

"That will be kind of hard, since Su is seconds away from killing you."

Tonks ginned like a Cheshire Cat as she started grinding up against him. "Two words: Unbreakable Vow. I agreed to save you from Azkaban, and she agreed that I can have you whenever I want you."

"Unbreakable Vows are dangerous," Harry growled.

"So is your boss mare."

"What if she refused? Were you just going to leave the three of us in Azkaban to rot?"

"No, of course not. But she didn't know that."

"Bloody meta-slut," Su muttered under her breath.

* * *

The next day Blackie the unicorn was giving Gabrielle and Luna a ride around the grounds of the Château. The events of the past few days had left Harry sore, but he figured that after all that time in a small prison cell he could use some exercise. His current good mood evaporated though when he saw a fat little wizard pacing back and forth in the formal garden. After the two witches dismounted, he transformed back into his human form.

"Mr Flamel, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I want to know how my friend Albus died. I understand that you were there when it happened."

Harry let out a long sigh. "Do you have a Pensieve for me to use? It will be easier for all of us that way."

Flamel did have a Pensieve, and over the course of the morning three dozen wizards and witches took turns watching Harry's memory. Besides Nicolas and Perenelle the group included diplomats from the most important magical governments in Europe, Africa, and Asia. They had arrived thanks to the influence of the Veela, but in truth it wasn't that hard to convince them to come. Everyone in the magical world was interested in the death of Dumbledore, an event which left Voldemort as the de facto ruler of the United Kingdom.

"You-Know-Who has the heads of Albus Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, and this fake Harry Potter impaled on spikes right in the middle of Diagon Alley," the Belgian Ambassador informed them. He had just made the short trip from London an hour ago. "We can't let a wizard like him control an entire country."

"You saw the memory in the Pensieve," Flamel remarked. "Are any of your Aurors capable of defeating him in a duel?"

The situation was quickly deteriorating, and Harry knew he had to do something before they all convinced themselves that Voldemort was invincible, and that surrender was the only logical option. He glanced over at Perenelle, who gave him a playful wink in return. Would doing **that** really help matters?

_I guess it couldn't hurt to give it a try,_ Harry thought.

After having a brief word with Apolline and the other Veela present, they all went to work broadcasting their Ecstasy. Soon the nervous diplomats were all naked as jaybirds and shagging like rabbits. Harry's power had increased a great deal over the years, and overcoming the resistance of a small group like this one posed no difficulty for Lord Dionysus and his Veela.

Much later that day Nicolas Flamel stood up and addressed the orgy. He had a bottle of Firewhiskey in one hand, while the other was resting on the arse of a beautiful Nigerian witch. "I would like to propose a toast to my late friend Albus Dumbledore. Sure he was as bent as a nine bob note, but he was still one hell of a wizard!"

"I knew you are supposed to picture your audience naked when you giving a speech, but this is ridiculous," Su said as she gestured towards the cheering crowd all dressed in their birthday suits. After Tonks took her turn last night, she had been monopolizing his body—not that he minded. Luna did though.

"Now I say we tell that bastard Voldemort that we aren't going to put up with his shite like we did last time," Flamel continued. "If he wants to turn the United Kingdom into his own private hellhole, then that's his prerogative. But this time he is going to leave the rest of the us alone."

Under the influence of Harry's Ecstasy—and a lot of alcohol—the diplomats present came up with what would later be called the Treaty of Guernsey. Voldemort was recognized by the ICW as the lawful ruler of England, Scotland, and Wales but that was all he was given. (Northern Ireland was specifically placed under the protection of the United States. Thanks to mass migration over the centuries there were more Irish wizards in the United States than there were in Northern Ireland, and they were very protective of their homeland.) If the Dark Lord traveled outside those borders it would be seen as an act of war against the entire world.

Given his lack of Death Eaters, Voldemort had no choice but to accept this treaty when the delegates from the ICW gathered on the Channel Island of Guernsey a week later. Voldemort had sent one of his lackeys to negotiate in his place, but he would have to travel to Guernsey in person to sign the Treaty with a blood quill.

These developments left Harry in a foul mood. "We are all being played for fools. We should finish Voldemort off now while he's still weak."

"Why try to solve the problem today when you can kick it down the road for your successor to deal with? That is the way all politicians think," Apolline explained. "My Lord, the signing ceremony takes place in less than an hour's time. I strongly suggest we leave before Voldemort arrives."

"No, I think I would like to have a word with him before we go see Millie."

"That is a dreadful idea," Apolline told him. "My Veela warriors can not guarantee your safety in such a volatile situation."

"I will be surrounded by over a hundred wizards and witches from around the world. He can't kill me and sign a peace treaty at the same time," Harry reasoned. "Plus I want to see the bastard's face when he finds out that I'm still alive."

The Boy-Who-Lived decided to make a grand entrance, so he flew a thousand meters into the sky and then slowly floated to the ground as the signing ceremony was coming to an end. "Given your gruesome display in Diagon Alley, I guess you fell for Dumbledore's trick."

"So Albus was using a Polyjuice Potion decoy," Voldemort snarled. "I should have known."

"Yes, you should have," Harry agreed as he continued to hover a few meters in the air. "I am curious: what's your next move?"

"I will lead my people to a glorious new future. A future dominated by magic, and magic alone," Voldemort declared in a loud voice. He was clearly playing to the large audience surrounding them.

But then so was Harry. "Do you honestly think that anyone will want to follow **you**?"

"People have always been willing to follow great wizards. It is the natural order of things."

"But you are so... repulsive," Harry said. "And your Death Eaters are even worse."

Voldemort laughed. "Do think that matters?"

"It's not just your face that's repulsive, it's also your ideas. You are planning on leading us into a war against the muggles. That is the ultimate goal you are working towards, isn't it?"

"Oh, I see. You love the muggles, just like that old buffoon Albus did."

"I'm nothing like Dumbledore. But you are. I can see that now."

"Is that so?" Voldemort hissed as he reached for his wand.

"Yes, it is," Harry replied. "He wanted to impose his ideology on the magical world, just like you do. In my opinion you're both buffoons. The average wizard and witch on the street wants to live in peace, not die in one of your pointless crusades."

"I am offered them a better future. What are you offering them?"

"Pleasure."

Harry's flippant answer enraged Voldemort, and he was hoping the monster would lose control and strike right there in front of all these witnesses. Instead he Apparated with a deafening pop. It didn't matter. Because after confronting his opponent in the flesh, Harry had finally figured out how he was going to win this war.

* * *

As Tonks promised, the problem of the Goblet of Fire had been solved by Harry's former lover Millie. His favorite Slytherin had no intention of losing her fiancé Viktor Krum to some stupid magical trinket, so she stole the Goblet the night Harry and the others were arrested by the Aurors. She and Krum then took a muggle aeroplane to France with the bloody thing stored in her school trunk.

It turns out that whoever had physical possession of the Goblet of Fire controlled the terms of its current magical contract. This meant that Fleur and Harry had no choice but to beg for mercy. Luckily the future Mrs Krum was in a generous mood when they met her at a magical bistro in Calais for lunch.

"And the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament is... a Gobstones competition," Millie announced with a flourish after the waitress took away their dirty plates.

"But I never played a game of Gobstones in my entire life," Harry pointed out.

"She is well aware of that fact," a smiling Viktor Krum said as he place a large antique playing board on top of the empty table.

"And I am allergic to that putrid liquid the Gobstones spit out when a player loses a point," Fleur complained.

"Yes, I learned that interesting bit of information from one of your fellow Beauxbatons witches, which is why I chose Gobstones for the Third Task," Mille explained. "Unlike you two, Viktor and I love the game and are very good at it."

Yes, the Sorting Hat definitely made the right call when it placed the witch in Slytherin. Harry lost both of his games, and Fleur was already out of the running thanks to her disastrous and near-fatal performance during the Second Task. This meant that Viktor Krum was declared the winner of the Triwizard Tournament of Nineteen Ninety-Four by the Goblet of Fire, much to the delight of his fiancée.


	28. Chapter 28

**Author's Note**: (1) I posted this story a few years ago under my old pen name, but later deleted it. Now I'm posting it again. (2) This is the last chapter. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Now that Voldemort knew Harry was still alive, he and his friends needed a safe place to hold up, and with its ancient wards the Veela Enclave certainly was safe. It was also beautiful. The secluded alpine valley high in the Pyrenees Mountains was basically a giant garden filling with a picturesque mixture of magical plants and animals. There was even a unicorn herd, which strangely enough made it feel like home.

Meanwhile the steep mountains surrounding the green valley floor were honeycombed with a vast network of linked caverns. These individuals caverns all had stunning frescos painted on the walls and ceilings, while detailed mosaics covered the stone floors. Elaborate water fountains and towering marble statues were also a common sight, and every piece of furniture was a hand-crafted masterpiece. After over centuries of effort the Enclave was close to perfect as the Veela could make it.

The local population was a bit of a shock though. When Harry arrived he was expecting to see hundreds of Veela, and he certainly did. They ranged from tiny witches younger than Gabrielle to ancient crones who were so fragile they had to move around on floating thrones, and every age in between. What he wasn't expecting were slaves, who also numbered in the hundreds. All around the large vaulting cavern that acted as the Enclave's public square Harry saw people wearing those odd metal collars

One of the slaves in particular caused Hermione to explode in anger. "What is Professor Weasley doing wearing that bloody _thing_ around his neck?"

"He betrayed Lord Dionysus to Albus Dumbledore, and placed the lives of over a hundred Veela at risk," Fleur explained as she eyed the muggleborn witch with disdain. "That collar is his punishment."

"But slavery is barbaric!"

"Would you prefer we him put to death? Consigning such a talented young wizard to an early grave... that would be barbaric. Instead William like put his considerable talents to use serving Lord Dionysus and the Enclave."

"All these slaves have committed crimes against the Veela?" Harry asked.

Fleur nodded. "Murderers, rapists, and thieves—every last one of them."

"My Lord, do you object to our ancient traditions?" Apolline asked carefully.

Harry thought about for a moment. He needed the Veela, so now was not the time to start a social revolution. "No, I have no objections."

Hermione was seconds away from losing it again, so he shot her a nasty glare. He would explain the political situation to her at some point, but now he had more pressing problems to deal with.

Problems like Sirius Black, the godfather Harry had exiled. Even the recent birth of his son James Pyxis Black hadn't improved the wizard's attitude, and he picked a fight with his godson about Remus Lupin's death five minutes after they arrived at the Enclave. Luckily Harry and Apolline had already cooked-up an idea that would get him back to the United Kingdom before Black could do anything rash.

After a quick meal they all gathered in the Enclave's large Map Room. As the name suggested, the room was full of maps. Gorgeous, hand-painted maps that dated from dawn of recorded history right up to present day. They all gathered around a modern map of Western Europe which Apolline was levitating in the air. Luna sat on Harry's lap, and he was flanked by his three broodmares. Tonks was on the other side of the room, trying to calm down her irate cousin.

"Have any of you ever hear of the muggle Underground Railroad?" the Veela Strategos asked.

Hermione immediately raised her hand like a good Ravenclaw.

"Granger, this isn't Hogwarts," Su said in exasperation. "Just tell us what you know."

"The Underground Railroad was a series of secret routes and safe houses used by African slaves in the United States of American to escape from bondage before the outbreak of their Civil War during the ninetieth century," Hermione explained in a single breath.

Padma was so impressed with this answer she kissed Hermione on the cheek. Harry and Luna agreed that her performance was adorable, but Su just rolled her eyes.

"Are you suggesting that we smuggle the muggleborn and half-bloods out of the United Kingdom?" Black guessed. "What about the wards the Ministry of Magic has in place to prevent international travel?"

"Lord Dionysus ordered me to make a study of those wards during our time in the Forbidden Forest. While they are extensive, they are not without subtle flaws," Apolline explained. "Flaws that we can exploit until Voldemort gets around to correcting them. Something I doubt he will have time for as he consolidates his power over your Ministry of Magic."

"There are almost thirty thousand wizards and witches living in the UK. Realistically how many can we hope to help?" Tonks asked.

"As many we possible can," Harry declared. "Voldemort can no longer hide in the shadows. When people see him for the monster he really is, I'm sure they will want a way out."

Black still looked skeptical. "That sounds very noble, but you have no idea how conservative most wizards are. If they didn't leave during the last war, then I doubt they will leave now. No matter how awful Voldemort might seem to you or me."

Harry looked around at his five witches. Taking this next step was going have terrible consequences for both them and for his future children—if he lived long enough to have any. But he didn't see any real alternatives at this point.

"They will if I start spreading the holy word of Dionysus. In person."

"Oh really... my Lord?" Su remarked dryly.

"Don't be sarcastic," Harry snapped. "This isn't the time for it."

"I'm not being sarcastic. I thought we came here to the Enclave to keep you alive."

"No, we came here so Hermione, Tonks, and Luna would be safe. I wasn't worried about you and Padma, since I thought you both be in Asia by now. Besides, hiding here behind the Veela wouldn't help us get rid of Voldemort. I don't want to spend the rest of my life under a death sentence, and that means one of us has to go."

Su tried again. "Even so, I thought you didn't like being a religious leader."

"I hate it, but my message is very benign when compared to other religions. The only thing I ask of my would-be followers is that they leave everyone else alone."

"If It Harms None, Do What You Will," Apolline recited in a reverent tone.

"He is right," Padma said reluctantly. "If we spread a positive message of peaceful coexistence it is sure to undermine Voldemort's authority with the public in the long-term. But what about the short-term? How do you plan to get this new underground railroad of yours started?"

Harry grinned. "We are going to piss Voldemort off, and then he will do the job for us."

* * *

Harry, a very angry Professor Weasley, and twenty élite Veela warriors under Apolline's personal command took a Portkey back to the United Kingdom during the middle of the night. After they reached their destination of Ottery St. Catchpole, they assembled a camouflaged observation post only a few hundred meters away from the Weasley's ramshackle home. The small village in Devon was home to several other magical families—including the Diggorys and the Fawcetts—but Harry was betting the Weasleys would be the first target. The clan of gingers were notorious for their support of Albus Dumbledore and his anti-Voldeomrt ideology.

"It looks like the Death Eaters have finally arrived to terrorize my family," Weasley whispered as he studied Burrow through a pair of high-quality Omnioculars. "I count eight of them in total."

"I agree," Apolline added as she looked through her own pair of Omnioculars. "But only one of them is a trained warrior, while the others seem to be new recruits. Voldemort must be stretched very thin if he is sending untrained child out on missions like this one."

"Good, then it's time to take advantage of his mistake," Harry whispered. "Kill them."

After the Veela disappeared beneath their invisibility cloaks, he turned to Weasley. "Once they are done we're going to send the bodies of the Death Eaters back to the Ministry of Magic."

"That's just bloody great. Once Voldemort finds out that happened he will torture every wizard and witch in Ottery St. Catchpole—and my family will be at the top of his list. Then the sick bastard will burn the entire village to the ground," Weasley snarled. "You are dead, Potter. Do you hear me? Dead."

"If you even try to hurt me that collar will squeeze your neck until your head pops off," Harry snarled right back as the invisible Veela began butchering the Death Eaters. "Now if you are done with your macho posturing, I suggest you do down there and convince your family to leave the United Kingdom."

"Where are in the name of Merlin are they suppose to go?"

"The Veela will help them find a new home somewhere Voldemort will never be able to find them. You have my word on that."

"The word of a liar means nothing," Weasley said. "That's what you are Potter: a liar. This whole business of claiming to be the god Dionysus makes me sick."

"If that's the way you feel, then you can sit here and watch your family die in a few hours. Or you can swallow your pride, and take my offer of help. So what's it going to be?"

* * *

Weasley's prediction proved to be correct. Less than an hour after Apolline sent the bodies of the eight Death Eaters to the Ministry of Magic, the village of Ottery St. Catchpole was in flames. Luckily all the local magical families had taken Harry's offer of a Portkey to France, including the Weasleys. None of them were happy about to becoming refugees, but they were alive and in the end that's what really mattered.

News of the mass destruction quickly spread. Over the next few weeks thousands of wizards and witches managed to escape from Voldemort's new reign of terror. At first they simple Apparated to the Continent or flew by broom, but the puppets at the Ministry of Magic soon strengthen the national wards. That stopped any magical transportation across the border, but what it didn't stop was _non-magical _transportation across the border.

Guided by the daily broadcasts of "Free Wizarding Wireless"—which was now broadcasting from the Flamel's Chateau in France thanks to Perenelle's suport—those who still wanted to leave the United Kingdom turned to the muggle world. For the first time in their lives wizards and witches began boarding aeroplanes, ferries, and even the newly opened Chunnel train to slip by the Death Eaters and their new allies among the Aurors. Once out of the country they were guided by volunteers to a network of safe houses before moving on. Mostly to the United States or the Antipodes, countries which were always eager for new magical blood.

Who paid for this mass migration? Well for starters it was the Veela. After four thousand years of history they had accumulated a lot of wealth, but Harry felt guilty about spending it. The Veela might believe that he was the reincarnation of their god Dionysus, but in his heart he didn't share their delusion. Because of this he went back to the first job he had ever had: charity fundraising.

The rest of the magical world knew that Voldemort was evil (and probably insane to boot), so many were eager to help with their galleons if not with their wands. It was an added bonus that the Boy-Who-Lived and his female entourage were such crowd-pleasers. Harry and his four broodmares were the only Unicorn Animagi in the entire world. In truth they were the only Animagi who took the form of any magical creäture. Another bonus was his ability to fly, and at such great speeds. His aerial displays always impressed the donors.

But the biggest draw was definitely the spontaneous orgies that always seemed to break out when Harry showed up at a party. Not only was he a handsome, but he always traveled with a large number of Veela. Compared to most international meetings—which tended to be very boring—an event starring the famous Boy-Who-Lived was guaranteed to be memorable. All and all his fundraising tours around the magical world were very lucrative, and provided them more than enough galleons to support their new cold war against Voldemort.

* * *

"I think we have reached the limits of our current strategy," Apolline told them three months after their escape to the Enclave. "Voldemort has the United Kingdom sealed up tighter than a goblin's treasure vault, and any further attempts to leave will only result in pointless deaths."

"I'm surprised that we got away with it for as long as we did," Harry said as he gently rubbed Hermione's belly.

One interesting side-effect of their brief stay at Azkaban was the witch's pregnancy. After the trauma of being arrested and sent to prison she had forgotten about her monthly contraception potion. Hermione seemed happy about becoming a teenage mother, although the fact that her boyfriend could die any day now might have had something to do it.

Padma, Luna and Tonks were also pregnant. According to the Healer's medical rituals all four were expecting daughters. Padma theorized that his magic was somehow responsable for this gender section. Harry hoped she was right. If he had any sons, their relationships would be doomed from the start thanks to the negative effect his Charisma had on wizards.

"Saving the lives of nearly a third of the wizards and witches in the United Kingdom is nothing to be ashamed of," Su said. She hadn't gotten pregnant yet, although he wasn't sure why. They certainly had sex often enough.

"I say it's time we take a more aggressive approach," Harry argued. "Setting up the new underground railroad and the Free Wizarding Wireless in France was a good start, but now we have to start sending agents inside the country to directly undermine Voldemort's political authority."

"Getting past these new wards is going to be a one-way trip for sure," Tonks pointed out. "Who's going to volunteer for that kind of mission besides Angelina Johnson and her crazy werewolves? The Veela are too noticeable to go undercover for any length of time."

"I'm sure we can find some recruits among those who fled earlier," Su said. "About half the people who escaped seem happy with their new lives, but the other half wants to return home at some point in the future."

"But what are they suppose to do once they arrive?" Black asked. He was still angry with his godson for many reasons, but thankfully he was willing to put that anger aside for the sake of the war effort. "A direct attack on the Ministry of Magic or Voldemort himself would be a total disaster."

"Lord Dionysus wouldn't be asking them to attack Voldemort directly," Apolline explained. "Instead we will work on setting up a resistance movement. Small acts of sabotage and the occasional assassination will be our immediate goals. Angelina is already in London laying the groundwork."

"This plan of yours is going to get a lot of innocent people killed," Black snapped.

"I know that," Harry admitted. "And that's why I will out in the field with them."

"Potter, that is crazy," Su said. "You will be totally defenseless if Voldemort or his Death Eaters catch you."

"I'm sorry, but this isn't up for negotiation. If I'm going ask people to die in my name, then I must to be willing to risk my own life helping them."

"Fine. If you're going, I'm going too."

"Are you a Metamorphmagus?" Harry asked.

"No," Su admitted.

"Can you fly without a broom or a magic carpet?'

"No."

"Can you alter the appearance of your Animagus form so it looks like a regular horse instead of a bloody unicorn?"

"No."

"Then you're not coming with me, and that's not up for negotiation either. I plan on leaving tomorrow. We can either spend our remaining time together arguing, or we can go to bed."

Su was furious, but she dragged him off to bed anyway.

* * *

Implementing this next phase of their plan was a major headache. Things started well enough, since the "Gospel of Dionysus" was easy to understand and even easier to follow. Harry wandered around the small magical villages of England, Wales, and Scotland in a random fashion. Some nights he flew, while other nights he transformed into Blackie and galloped through the green fields and forests. Some nights he would even hitch a ride with the female muggles who always seemed eager to stop their automobiles and pick him up.

During the day Harry would alter his face, and then chat with the local witches he met. As his Charisma surged into them, he would asked about the new Ministry of Magic. Their answers were never good. Voldemort had never been a popular leader, so to motivate his new (inexperienced and stupid) Death Eaters he had to let them to brutalize the common people. This only made him more unpopular.

As he chatted with these witches, he would let slip news about the famous Boy-Who-Lived who was working hard to topple Voldemort from power. Harry Potter had saved them all once, and perhaps he would do so again if they accepted his new ideas. Ideas which promoted peace and love, not war and hatred of the muggles. This line of thinking was encouraged by his other agents, who were also secretly roaming all over the countryside.

Once or twice a week he would use an enchanted mirror to contact Angelina. They would then meet at some muggle hotel to exchange information and brainstorm new strategies. The passionate sex they always ended-up having was just an added bonus as far as Harry was concerned.

"The converts to the great Lord Dionysus are reaching a critical mass," the naked werewolf told him as them lounged in bed one afternoon. "I think it's time to began to asking them to join our new Résistance."

"Do you think the plan will work?" Harry asked.

"No, not a chance. But if we are going to die, we might as well take a few Death Eaters with us before the end."

"That sounds like something a proud werewolf queen would say, but I know you are lying. So why are you and the other werewolves really helping me?"

Angelina ran her long fingers over his smooth chest muscles. "I know you're not a Greek god—even if you do look like one—but I honestly believe in your message. Peace and equality for all magical beings... those are ideas I'm willing to die for, and my werewolves feel the same way."

"I hate to break it to you, but I don't think the great Lord Dionysus will be able to change the magical world in the ways you want him to."

"If Voldemort doesn't kill you first, I think you will. I think your new message will change everything."

At first Harry and Angelina only asked their new recruits for gossip about the Ministry of Magic, but soon they were given small tasks. Some were told to carry out a minor sabotage here or there, while others were asked to steal certain critical supplies which were irreplaceable without foreign imports. The magical economy of the United Kingdom was already in terrible shape, so these small acts of defiance had an oversized impact.

After awhile they upped the ante. Minor Death Eaters began having accidents that weren't really accidents at all. Others were served poisoned food and wine. The worst Death Eaters simply had their throats cut while they slept. A few notorious rapists were castrated while they were still wide-awake.

Voldemort wasn't a fool, and he realized what was happening at once. His predictable response was to increase the political oppression by the Ministry of Magic. Several of the members of the Résistance were captured by the Aurors and tortured, but they had no useful information to share. Apolline had insisted from the beginning that they use a clandestine cell system. Each witch only knew the identity of the two other witches in her particular cell. All communication with the other members of the Résistance and with the leadership were completely anonymous. This prevented the Aurors from penetrating the larger organization and destroying it.

These setbacks didn't stop Voldemort, and he continued to terrorize his people in hopes of ending the Resistance before it gained more strength. But the worse things got, the more witches went over to Harry and his message of a peaceful future. The numbers in the Résistance soon climbed from a few dozen to a few hundred, and they continued to receive generous financial support from the outside world.

Harry's continually asked the witches he met: "What does the so-called Dark Lord have to offer us but the cruelty of his Death Eaters and the poverty of international isolation?"

Voldemort had no real answers for either of these questions.

* * *

After a year of itinerant preaching and guerrilla warfare, they were ready.

That fateful day Su paid a visit to the muggle hotel in London where Harry was staying. Spending letters to the Enclave or even using enchanted mirrors was considered too much of a security risk, so they hadn't seen each since his last fundraiser in German three months ago. After all that time apart Harry was wondering if Su had come to end their relationship. Instead she ripped off his clothes the second he closed the door. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He responded by pinning her up against the wall for the next ten minutes. Their unique connection was still there, and it was as intense as ever.

Afterwards Su took a bundle of magical pictures out of her Mokeskin pouch. "I think you will want to take a look at these."

They were pictures of his four new daughters and their happy mothers. There was Rose Granger, who had a flower name like his mother Lily. Pritha Patil carried on the family tradition of names starting with the letter "P". Theodora Tonks was named after her grandfather as a peace-offering, since Ted Tonks was still planning on killing Harry the first chance he got. And finally there was Artemis Lovegood, who was a perfect little moon goddess just like her mother. They were all so beautiful he started to cry.

"Potter, in case you hadn't noticed I'm still naked. But the fact that you're crying is really ruining the mood for me."

"Thank you for coming to London, and thank you for bring these pictures," Harry whispered. "I needed a reminder of why I'm going through with this today."

"You are going through with this because it's the best chance we have to get rid of Voldemort," Su said as she reluctantly began putting on her custom dragon-skin armor. "To that end I've brought someone with me from France who should be able to help us."

"Who?"

"For reasons of security I literally can't tell you."

"Another Unbreakable Vow?"

"That would be a good guess."

Their plan—if you wanted to be generous and call it that—relied on Voldemort's anger overcoming his common sense. But to be fair the Dark Lord did have a lot to be angry about. It was the Boy-Who-Lived who destroyed his first body all those years ago. It was the Boy-Who-Lived who was mocking him from the safety of the Veela Enclave (or so Voldemort thought) and traveling around the world going to lavish parties while he was trapped on a single wretched island. It was the Boy-Who-Lived who was inspiring his subjects to rebel against their lawful ruler.

And it was the Boy-Who-Lived who was now standing in Diagon Alley challenging the great and powerful Lord Voldemort to a duel in front of a massive crowd.

The sensible course of action would have been to let the Aurors arrest Harry. He was the most wanted criminal in the United Kingdom, and it would have been perfectly legal for Voldemort to leave the situation in the hands of the proper authorities. It was a good thing for Harry that his rival was a megalomaniac, because instead of being sensible Voldemort Apparated directly to Diagon Alley the moment he heard about the challenge.

"So you have come to face me at last, you cowardly worm!" Voldemort roared when he saw Harry standing there in the middle of the Alley.

These first few seconds had always been the weak point in the plan, and the reason why Angelina feared it was doomed to failure. If Voldemort had shown up and simply killed Harry there was nothing anyone could have done to stop him. Instead the evil tosspot had to gloat, just as he had done before killing Amelia Bones. That arrogance cost him dearly.

Why? Well, because every single witch in Diagon Alley that morning was a follower of Lord Dionysus. They had been brought together by the Résistance, and half of them were dressed as wizards. The deception never would have worked if Voldemort had the least bit of caution. Instead he began gloating like a schoolyard bully, confident that his magic could overcome any obstacle.

And he was right about that. After watching the battle on Azkaban, Harry realized it _would _be impossible to defeat Voldemort with conventional magic. So he didn't even try. Instead Harry flooded Diagon Alley with his Charisma until the runes cut into his bones started to burn. Now the crowd of witches were primed to obey their Lord Dionysus' command.

"Seize him!"

The crowd lunged forward like a pack of wild animals. Feelings of love, Harry had learned over the years, were very similar to feelings of hatred. While Voldemort managed to cut down the first wave of witches with a series of Killing Curses, he was soon overwhelmed by their numbers and their utter lack of fear. He was so conditioned to fighting with magic that he had no idea how to react to such a primitive threat.

Fuel by Harry's Charisma, the furious witches not only deprived the monster of his wand, they also deprived him of his entire wand arm. Voldemort tried to Apparate, but Su had activated the anti-transportation wards the second he showed his ugly face in Diagon Ally. The savage beating continued for over a minute before Harry called the witches off.

Despite being covered in blood, Voldemort laughed when his young rival approached. "Do you honestly think you have won? What a fool you are Harry Potter. This body is but a shell. I returned once before, and I shall return again."

That had always been the other great flaw in the plan, but Harry figured it would take Voldemort some time (hopefully a couple of years) before he could create another body. He figured he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Su and Angelina were holding back the crowd, but to his surprise they allowed a short witch to step forward. The witch threw back her heavy cloak, an act which revealed a very familiar face.

"Let me take a wild guess: you used the Ka-Sheut Ritual developed by the Egyptian Priests during the Middle Kingdom?" Perenelle Flamel asked.

"How could you possibly know that?" a shocked Voldemort asked as more blood ran from his deformed mouth.

"Weak tea, Tom Riddle. Weak tea," Perenelle chided. "Before you die I am going to show you what a real necromancer is capable of."

The old witch then began chanting in a guttural langage—Harry later learned that is was Ancient Sumerian—and moving her wand in a complex pattern. A spike of pure magical energy suddenly plunged straight into Voldemort's chest and ripped his soul from his artificial body. Perenelle than lifted it into the air, and shredded it into nothingness.

As this was going on Harry turned to address his followers. "This is the fate of all those to defy the will of your Lord Dionysus. Go forth and slay any Death Eater you can find."

"Go forth and slay...?" Su asked quietly as the wild crowd began running in every direction.

"It sounds like something a god would say," an embarrassed Harry said as he took out his enchanted mirror and contacted Apolline. The Strategos arrived in London this morning with two-thousand Veela and another thousand mercenaries. They had to charter ten muggle aeroplanes to do it, but money was never a problem for the Veela. "Are your Curse Breakers ready to begin?"

"Yes, my Lord. They should have the wards around the Ministry of Magic down within the hour. I trust Voldemort is dead?"

"Very dead in fact, thanks to Mrs Flamel. Once the wards are down you are to proceed with the attack. Make sure your Veela warriors and the mercenaries remember my orders: no prisoners are to be taken. None. This stupid war ends today."

"It will be as you command, my Lord."

Harry turned to thank Perenelle only to find her collapsed in a heap on the bloody cobblestones of Diagon Alley. Apparently necromancy was a very taxing form of magic.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked as he offered the exhausted witch his personal flask of Firewhiskey.

"I will be," Perenelle replied after taking a long drink. "In a few months."

"Thank you for destroying Voldemort's soul, but I'm a little confused. I thought you and your husband didn't want to get involved in this war."

"Nicolas is dead. He set off on the Next Great Adventure a few days ago. The selfish prick expected me to jump on the funeral pyre next to him, but I had other plans."

He was almost afraid to ask. "What kind of plans?"

"In all my years I've never started a religion before, and it sounds like fun," Perenelle replied. "Plus I've always had this fantasy about making love to a male and female pair of Metamorphmagi."

Harry looked over at Su, who shrugged her shoulders. "She agreed to share the Philosopher's Stone with us. I'm not happy about it, but it is a fair trade."

* * *

As he laid in bed that night nestled between Perenelle and Tonks, Harry was seriously considering buying Su her very own Slytherin pimp cane. Bargaining his sexual favors (and Tonks') in return for access to the Philosopher's Stone was a fair trade, but at least she could have asked for his permission first. Not that it was a hardship or anything. After six-hundred years Perenelle had learned a lot of interesting tricks, and Tonks' presence only made things more stimulating.

Adding to his good mood was Apolline's crushing victory at the Ministry of Magic. It took the Veela Strategos less than two hours to finish off the remaining Death Eaters, and a new Minister of Magic had already been recognized by the ICW. Arthur Weasley was an honorable wizard. And the fact that his son William was a "guest" at the Veela Enclave meant he would never even think about arresting Harry or any of his friends for the many crimes they committed during the war.

Best of all was the Philosopher's Stone itself, which Perenelle had presented to him after his outstanding performance tonight. As Harry studied the beautiful red jewel, he thought about the future. Dumbledore and Voldemort were finally dead. He possessed the awesome powers of a minor Greek god, and now he had a few hundred years to play with. Maybe Angelina was right after all. Maybe the new Lord Dionysus would be able to change the world for the better.


End file.
